By Mercy Hill
The Anambra State Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Creative Economy with support from the Ministry of Tourism and the Anambra State Youth Empowerment, Entrepreneurship and Creative Economy Council, recently organized a week training program for young people in the state,to effectively harness and inculcate in them, the use of digital skills for development and value orientation.
The event which held from July 21 – 26, 2019 at Stanel World, Awka, focused on the effective use of internet facilities, digital skill training and networking for digital entrepreneurship solutions. It was an initiative developed by the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Anambra State on Youth Development and Digital Entrepreneurship, Hon. Ifeanyi Aniagor, who began the Digipreneur Initiative in 2016, first as a one day social media hangout and presently grown to become a multi – day platform and point of convergence for the best brains in digital entrepreneurship space covering conferences, exhibitions, networking and training. The youths were able to gain exposure into different digital ideas and innovations.
The over three hundred participants at the event who included under-graduates, graduates, job seekers, the employed and start-ups, were expected to use the dividends of the one-week program to change lives, by harnessing the potential of the social media, through inspiring sessions on how they could explore the vast benefits of the internet to make huge profits and become employers of labour.
Declaring the event open, the Commissioner for Youth Empowerment and Creative Economy, Hon. Afam Mbanefo, said that achieving business goals through the application of technology is a global trend the youths should key into.
The Convener of the event and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Development and Digital Entrepreneurship, Mr Ifeanyi Aniagor, noted that the Digipreneur week was a major activity of the Digipreneur Hub, which was themed ‘Take the Lead”. Going further to explain that apart from exposing the young people to the opportunities on the social media, participants would be empowered to take lead in the ever changing digital entrepreneurship space through training on digital tools to develop their start-up ideas.
Hon. Aniagor noted that it was an opportunity provided for people to learn digital skills; share ideas, skills or startups; sell businesses or company as well as learn wealth creating opportunities.
He commended the Anambra State Governor, His Excellency Willie Obiano, and other stakeholders for their support which culmilated to the success of the program.
In his keynote speech, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youths, Pastor Yugo Emechebe, advised the participants to see the social media as a forum with multiple opportunities and harness the possible benefits in them while shunning the few accompanied negativities.
For their parts, the MD/CEO of the Anambra Broadcasting Service, ABS, Chief Uche Nworah, and the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Anambra State Council, Comrade Emma Ifesinachi, stressed the need for youths to leverage on the potentials and opportunities on the digital space and form networks that will help them create wealth and better their worth.
Training on Google Crowdsource led by Miss Uchechukwu Enem of Fides Newspapers, Google Digital Skills by Jerry Guma and Wikimedia by Tochi Precious formed some of the highlights of the event.
