Abia State government has approved the employment of 50 outstanding TechRise Information Communication Technology graduates into the state civil service.
Gov. Alex Otti announced this during the TechRise Cohort 2 graduation ceremony, in Umuahia.
Otti directed the Head of Service to begin their documentation, adding that the employment would follow due process and require valid credentials.
Otti said that the employment embargo was temporarily lifted to accommodate the 50 graduates and would be reinstated after completion of the exercise.
The governor also announced that 849 graduates of the programme would receive laptops to support their professional development.
He added that prize winners would receive an additional N100,000 cash reward for outstanding performance.
Otti further approved N50,000 Christmas support for each graduate and also directed provision of transportation to their local government headquarters.
He said that the TechRise programme reflected his administration’s belief that Abia’s future depended on the creativity and potential of its youth.
Otti said that the graduation increased the total beneficiaries trained under TechRise in 12 months to 1,359.
The governor noted that the graduates would provide critical manpower for the state’s ongoing digital transformation drive.
He described TechRise as a strategic investment in human capital aimed at promoting innovation, job creation and efficient service delivery in Abia.
The governor said that the participants acquired skills in full-stack development, cybersecurity, mobile app development, data and Artificial Intelligence engineering.
He urged the graduates to continually update their skills and deploy them to improve the state’s economy.
Otti commended relevant ministries and the 17 local government councils for effective inter-agency collaboration in the success of the programme.
Mr Uzor Nwachukwu, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, described TechRise as an advanced digital skills programme for youths in Abia.
He said that the initiative was implemented by the state government and local government councils in partnership with LearnFactory Nigeria.
The Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr David Kalu, urged graduates to leverage policies like the Abia Startup Law to build innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Yes, you are now qualified for good jobs, and I encourage you to pursue them, but I also challenge you to think bigger and think to start up something new,” Kalu said.
Similarly,Mr Nwaobilor Ananaba, Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, described the graduates as agents of change.
Nwaobilor also urged the graduates to apply the skills and knowledge they had gained appropriately to become job creators in the state and nation at large.
Mr Chibueze Ukegbu,Chief Executive Officer of LearnFactory Nigeria, said the programme focused on skills, leadership and entrepreneurship.
Ukegbu, who is also the coordinator of TechRise, expressed confidence that the programme had refined the graduates into better individuals prepared to make meaningful contributions to societal growth.
The event featured project presentations, certificate awards and observance of a minute of silence for a deceased participant, Princewill Ogbunna.(NAN)
Edited by Maureen Atuonwu
