Convener/ Coordinator Imo Diaspora Support For Senator Hope Uzodimma, Ochiagha Nnanna Okere has praised the governor of Imo State Hope Uzodimma for his foresight in tapping into job opportunities for the youths of the state who were trained with digital skills by his administration.
Governor Uzodimma had during a visit by thousands of youths of the state to the Government House Owerri to show solidarity to his administration promised that he would facilitate job opportunities for the youths in Europe who are already trained with digital skills. He also promised to take the responsibility of paying for the logistics to get them into Europe and Canada when the jobs have been secured.
The promise of the governor had been mocked by his political opponents and detractors.
However, in a statement he personally signed, the convener of Imo Diaspora Support For Senator Hope Uzodimma, Ochiagha Nnanna Okere and made available to journalists in Abuja from his Finland base said those criticizing the governor are ignorant of the opportunities available in digital skills in Europe, especially in Nordic and Scandinavian countries.
He said that in his country of residence, Finland, like other Nordic and Scandinavian countries in Europe and indeed most parts of Europe, those with digital skills are in hot demand, and hailed the governor of Imo State for preparing youths of the state to tap into this opportunity that would result to multiplier effect that would grow the economy of the state through the repatriation of part of their earnings for the development of the state and help in eradication of poverty in their immediate and extended families.
Citing the enormity of the digital skills gap in Europe which could be filled by Imo youths with the right skills, Okere noted that the 2021 Digital Economy and Society Index ( DESI) which presents the updated indicators on Europe’s digital performance shows that 44 percent of Europeans lack basic digital skills. As a result he said, ” The European Union is working towards improving digital skills with various initiatives implemented such as Digital Decade, Digital Europe Programme, Digital Skills and Job Coalition, European Skills Agenda, Digital Education Action Plan and Recovery and Resilience Facility to name a few.”
He further said that while Europe plans to close the digital gap of about 56 percent, the job opportunities therein are all up for grabs by foreigners with digital skills.
He said given the aforementioned facts on digital skills opportunities in Europe, Canada and elsewhere around the world which countries like India, Philippines among others are already taking advantage of, Governor Hope Uzodimma deserves commendation and not condemnation for preparing Imo youths to take advantage of the opportunities that abound in the digital sphere.
Ochiagha Nnanna Okere also commended the governor for his well thought out agenda to train 300,000 Imo youths on digital skills over a period of years, noting that 20,000 of them have benefitted from the different training programmes and are ready to put such skills they have acquired to use.
He said that what Uzodimma has done is unprecedented as recent report by the European Union shows that in future nine out of 10 jobs will require digital skills.
He therefore recommended Uzodimma’s digital skills empowerment programme to other states in the country as well as to the federal government.
He added that this would contribute to the nation’s economic development and help in the quest to eradicate poverty and thus end the insecurity ravaging the country due to poverty and youth unemployment.