The Kaduna State Government has offered digital skills to over 500 youths through the Click-on-Kaduna programme in the state.

The programme director, Nuradeen Maidoki, said this while addressing participants at the Information and Computer Technology Business Expo of the 7th Kaduna Investments Summit in Kaduna on Thursday.

He said the Click-on-Kaduna programme was designed to create jobs and entrepreneural opportunities for youth across the state.

Maidoki, who was represented by Fatima Aminu, said the programme was created in 2018, built on five components.

The components are E-Lancing, Digital entrepreneurship, Digital skills, Virtual training for remote jobs and Data science fellowship.

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“Click-on-Kaduna programme is a platform for human capital development created by Kaduna state government in 2018 to give young people, 18 to 35 years, the skills for the future,” the programme director said.

He said it was created because of the realisation that of the 80 per cent young population in the state, 40 per cent were unemployed, while skills demand outweighs the skills supply due to lack of relevant skills to power growth.

“We carried out a six months digital skill development programme; an intensive training for 180 people consisting of 90 males and 90 females, and five observers from Kaduna state Planning and Budget Commission.

“After the programme, 70 percent were integrated into the system and they generated $325, 000.

“We also ran the digital entrepreneurship incubation programme and virtual training for remote jobs with 250 participants trained on animation, digital marketing and entrepreneurship.

“Data Science Fellowship, a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supported programme, was established in 2021 with 30 fellows in the first cohort in 2021.

“While 40 fellows are current line the second cohort; 30 fellows are expected to participate in the third cohort in 2023,” Maidoki said.

The Star