Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has offered automatic employment to 19 best-graduating students of the State 850 TechRise Cohort 3 youth ICT skills development programme.

In addition, the Governor also announced a cash donation of N100,000 each for all 850 graduands and to convert the laptops used during the training to their personal use.

This is as he was particularly excited with the graduands for developing a functional drone and directed the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to work with the team to explore ways of moving the innovation from concept to commercial viability.

At a graduation ceremony in Umuahia, Otti directed the Head of Service and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, to liaise with the State Chief Information Officer to identify existing ICT gaps in the State, with a view to filling them with TechRise graduands.

The State Chief Executive explained that the decision to employ the top 19 graduands was part of his administration’s strategy to retain the best talents produced by the programme and deploy their skills to improve public service delivery, with special salary structure for ICT professionals.

“A central part of our value multiplication outlook is to retain the best hands from each cohort of the programme and have them contribute directly in improving social service delivery through the institutions of government,” Governor Otti stated.

He charged the graduands to remain committed to continuous learning and warned against using their knowledge for criminal activities, saying the most valuable benefit of the programme was the knowledge and skills acquired for viable businesses and innovations.

He disclosed plans to establish international-standard ICT examination and certification centres in Abia to enable residents to obtain professional certifications required for career advancement without having to travel outside the State.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, noted that the administration of Governor Otti, in partnership with the 17 LGAs, has through the 100 percent cost-free, 3-month technological skills acquisition programme transformed a total of 2,210 youths drawn from Abia and other States of the Federation into architects of the digital future.

On behalf of the Local Government Mayors, Hon. Chinedu Enwereuzo, of Umuahia South Council, described the Governor’s policies and programmes as intentional and urged the graduands to leverage all they have been taught to improve their future.

Responding on behalf of the graduands, Mr. Onuoha Victor Chinedu thanked the Governor for the training, noting that the proggramme has empowered them to face the future with courage and expressed the hope that other youths would benefit from subsequent training programmes.

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