Telecom
Post COVID-19: Nigerian Youths Must Leverage on Skills to Contribute to Digital Economy – DG NITDA
Nigerian Youths have been advised to join hands with government and other relevant stakeholders to acquire necessary digital skills in order to be self-reliant during the post COVID-19 era.
Mallam Kashifu InuwaAbdullahi, director general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), gave the advice during an online interactive session with Nigerian youths on the topic: ‘Education, Employment & Technology in Nigeria: Gaps & Opportunities Post COVID-19 Pandemic’, organised by Global Shapers Community, an international non-governmental organisation which specialises in outsourcing talents, creating jobs and building careers.
He said that Nigerian youths should stay committed and focused on their endeavors, adding that time to hold-on to only educational qualifications without prerequisite skills is gone, especially now that the world has changed in different dimension.
The DG said that the outbreak of novel Coronavirus has been a monumental disaster globally, Nigeria inclusive. It has led to unprecedented disruptions to global economy, sharp drop in global crude oil prices, Nigeria economic mainstay and financial markets are struggling; massive loss of employment to the teaming youth, lockdown of schools and institutes of higher learning, among others.
“As of March 28, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing more than 1.6 billion children and youth to be out of school in 161 countries. This is close to 80% of the world’s enrolled students,” he said.
“Prior to COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment rate was 23.1% in 2019 according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), though some predicted it could reach 33% by 2020.
“Youth unemployment and underemployment is 55.4%. With the onset of the pandemic, this statistics cannot be better,” he added.
“To overcome these challenges of illiteracy and unemployment amongst the population of teaming youth, there is a need for careful planning to harness the opportunities the pandemic presented by using technology for human capital development and employment for next generation to curb the impact of the pandemic,” he advised.
Abdullahi further noted that by the closure of schools due to the virile nature of the virus, NITDA under the supervision of Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy launched Virtually Academy for those staying at home to use their time meaningfully for learning some skills.
“When we looked at the situation, we decided to come up with NITDA Academy for Research and Development (NART), we have 47 different technology related courses and so far 18,000 students have started taking lessons. This is part of our commitment in creating opportunities to deal with the challenges.
“Furthermore, we launched an innovative challenge for Nigerians to come up with workable solutions to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
“We got close to 2000 applicants with lots of interesting ideas from different parts of the country,” the DG added.
He said, “There is likely a boom in response to the aftermath of COVID-19. Areas to watch out for are ICT for mass literacy, Health care, Agriculture, Women Empowerment, Security and Surveillance.
“Job opportunities for Content Production, Animation Design for learning, Drones for medical supply deliveries, Robotics in surgeries and telemedicine and Sensors for proximity monitoring.
“All these can only be achieved if the youths leverage on digital skills rather than qualifications only.
“At NITDA, we are building Skills Acquisition Centres across the country to bridge the Digital gap. Because we identified the need for escalating our activities to Rural Areas, this falls under our Digital Inclusion programme.
“To succeed, we need to improve our technology innovation to defeating the pandemic and turning it to a thing of blessing in disguise.
‘Whether we like it or not, there is certainly a new normal in post COVID-19 pandemic where digital technologies are playing a major role,” he concluded.
Lebara Nigeria has become a member of the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) as it expands operations in the West African country.
The membership places Lebara Nigeria within a global network of more than 1,000 mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology companies and digital service providers.
Through the GSMA, the company will have access to industry research, technical standards, policy engagement and industry initiatives.
Lebara Nigeria said the move reflects its participation in the wider telecommunications ecosystem as it develops its operations in Nigeria’s mobile market.
Nigeria’s telecommunications sector plays a central role in the country’s digital economy, with more than 170 million active mobile subscriptions supporting services such as digital payments, e-commerce, education and healthcare.
Industry analysts say participation in international bodies such as the GSMA supports knowledge sharing and the adoption of industry standards.
Lebara Nigeria said GSMA membership will support its engagement with industry developments and policy discussions in the telecommunications sector.
The company said it remains focused on operating in Nigeria’s mobile telecommunications market as demand for connectivity continues to grow.
GSM Association is the advocacy and lobbying organization for the mobile communications industry, representing more than 1,000 mobile operators as full members and a further 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem as associate members.
Management of Vitel Wireless, mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), has distanced the company from a fraudulent scheme operating under the name: “Vitel Shares Services.”
In an official statement, the management clarified that Vitel Wireless is not selling shares or running any investment schemes.
They warned that the operators of “Vitel Shares Services” are using unauthorised websites, mobile applications, social media promotions, and bank accounts falsely linked to Vitel Wireless to mislead the public.
The statement reads: “The attention of Vitel Wireless has been drawn to a fraudulent scheme operating under the name ‘Vitel Shares Services.’
“We wish to state clearly that Vitel Wireless has no affiliation with Vitel Shares Services, or any platform claiming to offer Vitel shares, investments, or financial products through unofficial channels.
“We do not solicit investments through agents, social media, websites, apps, or third parties. Any platform claiming to offer Vitel Wireless shares or investments outside our official channels is fraudulent and should be treated as such.
“We urge the general public to remain vigilant and verify all information through official Vitel Wireless communication channels before making any payments or sharing personal data.”
Airtel Nigeria has concluded its second Customer Forum in Abuja, bringing together a large section of customers including high-volume data subscribers, 5G customers, and key stakeholders in another landmark engagement aimed at addressing concerns around data usage, transparency, and customer experience.
The forum themed “Understanding Your Data and Taking Control 2.0.” aimed to strengthen trust in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape. The session also featured inputs from representatives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Delivering the Keynote remarks, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO of Airtel Nigeria, who was represented by Femi Adeniran, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, emphasised that trust remains the most valuable currency in telecommunications, and Airtel remains committed to strengthening customer confidence through transparency and continuous engagement.
He explained that discussions around data consumption have become increasingly important as digital lifestyles evolve, with smartphones, cloud services, video streaming and emerging artificial intelligence applications significantly influencing data usage patterns.
According to him, Airtel recently introduced the Airtel Data Calculator, an innovative tool designed to help customers estimate their data needs based on online activities such as multimedia streaming, video calls, social media usage, and gaming.
“The purpose of the Airtel Data Calculator is to provide greater visibility, support informed decision-making and place more information directly in the hands of customers. Because transparency should never be viewed as a compliance exercise. Transparency is good business,” he stated.
He further reassured customers that Airtel has no incentive to shortchange subscribers through inaccurate billing, forced spending or unnecessary data depletion, stressing that the company’s growth depends on customer satisfaction, loyalty and trust.
Adeniran also highlighted Airtel’s continued investments in network infrastructure, fibre capacity, digital platforms, artificial intelligence capabilities, customer service systems and workforce development, noting that these investments are aimed at improving service quality and enhancing customer experiences.
Oladokun Oye, Director, Customer Experience, Airtel Nigeria, while welcoming participants to the event, said the forum was created to provide customers with an open platform for education, engagement and problem-solving, noting that the customer remains at the centre of Airtel’s business.
“Data has become central to everyday life, powering work, education, commerce, entertainment, healthcare and countless opportunities. As data usage grows, so too does the desire for greater visibility and understanding.
Today’s conversation is part of an ongoing journey. A journey toward greater transparency. A journey toward deeper understanding. And a journey toward a better customer experience for every Airtel subscriber,” he said.
The forum also featured practical demonstrations on data consumption management, device settings, and usage habits that impact data usage. It also included an interactive session by which Airtel teams provided clarifications and offered feedback to customers.
The Abuja event follows the successful maiden edition held earlier this year in Lagos and aligns with broader industry efforts led by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to improve consumer awareness, transparency, and confidence within the telecommunications sector.
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