- As 150 graduate from 3MTT Cohort 1, Get Laptops, Other Rewards
Minister for Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, on Thursday praised the commitment and drive of Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in making the dream of grooming three Million Technology Talents (3MTT) across Nigeria a reality in the State.
Represented by the Community Manager for the Initiative, Ibrahim Zulkifuli, the Minister was speaking in Ilorin at the graduation ceremony for the 3MTT Cohort (1) and Launch of Kwara Digital Economy platform.
The Minister described the support of the State -Government as “amazingly huge” and commended AbdulRazaq’s partnership in building and transforming effective learners from the project.
The 3MTT training programme is an initiative of the Federal Ministry which the Kwara State first keyed into. After a statewide sensitization and registration, Kwara got more than forty thousand entries early January, thereby enjoying massive commendation from the federal government.
“We have all seen the digital transformation in the state and what the Honourable Minister envisioned is to ensure capacity building for everybody but we could see how it is transforming from Kwara through the support of His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq,” he said.
“The support is very huge and we could not even see it coming. Thank you very much for your support and guidance, Your Excellency.“Firstly, the Governor deployed the right head for the job, in the person of Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Innovation and Technology, Hon Ishola Kayode. He is doing an amazing job in the area of sanitation and going to underserved communities in Kwara State. That actually makes Kwara the best when it comes to 3MTT support so far. And then, the Governor is giving resources support like laptops and among support. I must say that no other state is doing that.”
During the Cohort 1 graduation of the 3 Million Technical Talents, The Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Digital and Innovation, Kayode Ishola,emphasized the importance of embracing technology to drive progress, create opportunities, and tackle societal challenges in his opening speech.
He highlighted Kwara as one of the few states in the country that is taking advantage of the potential offered by the 3 Million talents program.
According to him, the Kwara Digital Economy platform aims to enhance opportunities in the digital and business sectors by connecting tech talents with entrepreneurs to help them utilize digital resources effectively for business improvement and to gain industry experience while earning simultaneously.
Hon. Ishola Kayode noted that the initiative marks a significant milestone as the first of its kind in any state in Nigeria, positioning Kwara State as a trailblazer.
He commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for providing the necessary resources for the development of the trainees.
Earlier, the State Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Damilola Yusuf Adelodun said the gathering attests to how Governor AbdulRazaq is fostering a culture of innovation and supporting tech programmes that she noted are instrumental to creating opportunities for the upcoming tech professionals.
She said the administration has created the Ilorin Innovation Hub to nurture and support tech talents, startups and innovations in the state.