About 500 women from Akwa Ibom State are to benefit from skills acquisition on digital economy, digital communications and entrepreneurship from a non Governmental Organization, Youths Alive Foundation (YAF) Africa.
The Executive Director of the organization, Dr Uduak Okon disclosed this to newsmen during the opening session of training for 100 beneficiaries under the first batch of the program held in Uyo on Wednesday.
Dr Uduak Okon, a seasoned Development entrepreneur while speaking at the occasion stated that the reason for organizing the program was as a result of their discovery that there has been more male folks occupying the digital space than women thus necessitated the coming of the program to bridge the gap by training more women to compete with the male counterpart.
According to Development partner from SDN, about 52 percentage of women who has access to the internet, have not been able to utilize the tools available for them, and the training was aimed at repositioning this trend.
However, it was discovered that Government policies is not enough to protect the digital skills which has resulted to brain drain and the NGO is out to empower more women to fill in the gap, even as the need for more enabling environment and opportunities should be created by government to meet this aspiration was emphasized by representative of the supporting partners Mr Okpara Chikesie, of SDN the training.
In their separate speeches, the Senior Special Assistant to Akwa Ibom State Governor on Entrepreneurship Development, Mr Ime Uwah noted that in today’s world with the internet, business can be carried out from home with no physical office if only the people are willing to key in, as the government is already providing security, safer environment, like the establishment of Ibom Enterprenueral Development Center for intending digital economist to be trained on how to do their business digitally and otherwise.
On his part, the SSA to the State Governor on Brand Marketing, Mr Raphael Edem used the forum to emphasized the need for women who have access to the digital skills to use the knowledge and add value to themselves, family and society, while saying that there is need for deliberate attempt to be made to empower women in this direction, however commended the NGO for setting the pace already.
The Digital Skills acquisition program which was also supported by Airtel Nigeria, had the beneficiaries under gone training on the basics of computer by Mrs Enoabasi Emah who spoke on Empowerment for Knowledge for personal and business development, took them through the Digital Market, Data Analytics and Videography.
The opening session of the training program had the Commissioner for women Affair and Social Wallfare in the state, Dr Ini Adiakpan represented, with commendation to YAF. According to her, ICT is the has vast opportunities that the trainees will have to key in to close the gender gap and jumpstart to grow their business while calling for interested women to approach department of Digitalization of Rural Women in her ministry.