Federal Lawmaker puts smile on faces of Anambra youths with ICT empowerment

It was all joy in Odekpe Town hall, Ogbaru local government area  on Friday as youths of the area were rewarded with ICT equipments after undergoing five days intensive training.

The ICT training took off Monday at the Odekpe community hall led by partner firm, Mazio Nigeria Limited, under a Federal government institution, Project Development Institute Enugu (PRODA).

Beneficiaries of the gift training said the programme was timely and gave them the opportunity to acquire the skills that will move them to the next level in life.

While some said such training would have been very expensive to acquire, others opined that they had been denied such opportunity due to their inability to raise money for independent training. They  praised the sponsor of the programme and a lawmaker representing their constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Chukwuka Onyema for his intervention.

A beneficiary, Nwadialor Frankline Chukwunonso said the training was an eye opening to the many opportunities that about in ICT. He pointed out that the equipments as well as the knowledge he gained on Microsoft and power point packages at the training will help him establish and run a business of his own.

Another beneficiary, Mr. Nsofor Jekwu said he has been unemployed for years and thanked God for the opportunity to salvage his future. Appreciating the lawmaker, he said the idea was timely as the empowerment will help him establish a small scale business where he could earn a living.

According to the team, Mazio Nigeria Limited in charge of the five days training, the programme was necessitated by the growing need to develop the youths of the area with sound ICT skills to engage in some entrepreneurial ventures.

The Chief Operating Officer of Mazio Nigeria Limited, Malik Ehiede, said the aim was  to train youths of the area to be ICT compliant and acquire the basic knowledge of computer that will enable them queue and effectively exploit the digital space.

He also noted that the training will provide youths with the foundation and footstep to responding to the demands of the technology driven world, stressing that it will even open up limitless opportunities for the youths to be engaged in some businetss ventures.

Ehiede who hinted that the training could help reduce the unemployment rate in the area noted that the economic base of the youths could be greatly improved  after the ICT empowerment programme.

The lawmaker, Hon Chukwuka Onyema said the idea was part of his  skill acquisition programme for the youths of the constituency, geared towards giving youths foundation to establish themselves in meaningful and gainful ventures.

“The essence of the training was to expose the youths to the knowledge of ICT and engage them in entrepreneurial ventures which in turn will help reduce the level of unemployment in Ogbaru local government area .”

Onyema, represented by the Director General Media Ochendo Campaign Organization, Comrade Ugboma Chinonso, said the participants will be issued a certificate after which they will be equipped with laptops, photocopying machines, printers and scanners to start-up business of their own to earn a living. 

He charged the participants to put the knowledge from the training to good use and make judicious use of the items given to them to help themselves and their communities.