FG DETERMINES TO BUILD CAPACITY OF NIGERIANS ON CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

FG DETERMINES TO BUILD CAPACITY OF NIGERIANS ON CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

 

The provision of massive employment opportunities through digital skills has informed the decision of the Federal Government through National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to embark on several initiatives aimed at upskilling and reskilling Nigerians across all walks of life in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).

Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, Director General of NITDA who was represented by Dr Salihu Abdulkarim stated this while delivering his goodwill message at the closing ceremony of the Creative Technology Programme, Phase 1 Training that focuses on business opportunities in Nigeria.

He said Creative Technology Programme is aimed at developing and retaining talents in Nigeria on promoting career skills and providing job opportunities among the beneficiaries with the goal of nurturing and upskilling Nigerians’ talents into viable career options; and create an ecosystem that will boost the economic potential of all participants.

Inuwa stated that the Agency is making tremendous efforts in pursuing a robust and all-inclusive talents development agenda that will create a competitive environment for the development and production of IT goods and services in the country, adding that the program would serve as mechanism for diversifying the nation’s revenue using digital economy.

He said, “The various capacity development programmes in our strategic plan have been designed to serve as a foundation for rapid development in all sectors, and we have built hundreds of digital capacity training centers and IT incubation Hubs across the nation to facilitate these programmes.”

Inuwa maintained that it is very important for Nigerian to build its talent from within because the nation is endowed with abundant talents.

“We have all we need to grow and compete with some of the biggest industries in the world. The retainment of talent within Nigeria can only happen if we all agree to stay here and build what we have. We have started building an ecosystem that will accommodate more people and help the development of a thriving community for tech talents in animation, games and AR within Nigeria,” he opined.

Acknowledging the intensity of the two-weeks training, Inuwa informed the participants that their “work has just begun,” adding that bringing the participants together is very important to the growth Nigeria seeks in promoting the Africa’s narrative in content creation.

“We see you all as creative technology ambassadors who will contribute positively to the Nigerian economy and build business opportunities within your sector. It is time to implement and we believe that you are all interested in bridging the creative technology skill gap,” he said.

While expressing his appreciation to the organiser of the capacity building, Ascend Studios Foundation for partnering with NITDA on the “crucial project of skilling and upskilling Nigerians with the trending digital skill,” the NITDA’s boss enjoined the participants to ensure that they judiciously utilise the knowledge acquired and pledged that NITDA would continue to “support them in any best possible ways.”
30 participants were successfully trained in the first phase of the programme and they are expected to train another 3000 participants across the country.

RUSSIA – UKRAINE WAR: ATIKU CALLS FOR CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE PARTIES – ANTHONY NWOSU

RUSSIA – UKRAINE WAR: ATIKU CALLS FOR CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE PARTIES – ANTHONY NWOSU

 

Russo – Ukriane war has affected the global narrative especially in the area of energy supply and food security. Atiku recently Kent his voice to the Ukriane diplomats in his home. This is In line with the global alignment, the diplomatic community in Ukraine recently visited the Nigerian presidential hopeful – 60 Atiku Abubakar in his home to explain the situation of their country Ukraine and the ripple effects it has on the global community especially in the area of food security and value chain.

Speaking on the event, Atiku said “Earlier today, I hosted a delegation of civil society bodies from Ukraine. The delegation explained how the conflict in Ukraine continues to take its toll on human rights and dignity, as well as the attendant food and energy crises, not just in Europe but across the globe.”

He added via his social media that” It was an opportunity for me to, once again, call on the league of democratic nations to unite and intensify engagements that will ensure the de-escalation of the conflict and restore peace.”

This visit has show that Atiku is abreast with the current realities as it pertains to international politics and the need to Call for cessation of hostilities and guarantee food security especially to the developing world and abate famine in arid nations.

 

Anthony Emaka Nwosu

Dr. Stella Emmanuel: Is Social Media The New Gatekeepers?

Dr. Stella Emmanuel: Is Social Media The New Gatekeepers?

Lately,the case of the Nigerian medical doctor in USA talking about Covid 19 treatment seems to have upset some folks ! Stella a female doctor has literally grown balls to face the maddening crowd and seems to have upturned the medical established,though Trump seems to have an ally here buttressing what he has opined months ago since the “coming” of Corona Virus via the Chinese route. Chinese are done here and Americans have taken over the fight leaving the battle for China ! Will they win? Time would tell but the issue of gatekeeping via social media keeps popping up anything I think about this.

If you were in mass communication or creative arts department in University,you must have come across the term information gatekeeping ! It is a topic that we did in school those day. What does gatekeeping mean? In a nutshell,it simply means telling you what to write ,say or publish at any time…if there isn’t any form of gatekeeping there might be chaos somww school of though would opine !

While other school of thought which I am a member strongly believe that gatekeeping hampers,impede of disrupts creativity and objectivity . But unfortunately, gatekeepers had their way! The majority would always have their ways and we the minorities were lurking in the dark hoping when the “information Messiah ” would pop up!

We waited , as for me,I waited for over 20 years for this to happen,I remembered my lecturer at IMSU (Mr Ray) telling us about gatekeeping and Chuma Ezeh ( May his soul rest in peace ) was my project supervisor and my project topic was Home Videos Mirrowing the Image of Society ….I came across that term again !

When social media came,we all shouted hurray and we sang kumbaya ,thinking that gatekeeping has been trashed , we were happier but our happiness was short lived! Gatekeeping wasn’t trashed but batons changed leaving government grasping! That’s the beauty of the beast in capitalism!

The new gatekeepers weren’t the government and their agencies such as NBC etc…it was in the hands of privates ! Private folks told us not to write negative about gays , about LGTBH,about other things and lately about Covid 19 Stella’s rantings!

Today we are being rail roaded on what to see,write and think that is the new cool,that Is the realities. Would Stella’s rantings make sense to the social media owners,can she and her handful of “good men ” fight a multi billion industry like Facebook,Twitter etc. Is she right in her postulation on covid treatment? What happened to balanced views and debate where we were taught how to debate for and against? Is it a case of voice of Essau and Hand of Jacob ? We would watch as this pan out. As we say in the theatre “the show must go on.” Communication is a part of human nature and we must keep doing that.

Anthony Emeka Nwosu