Cross River First Lady Charges Technical Skills Trainees On Seriousness, Lauds Organisers
By Uket Oka, Calabar
The wife of the governor of Cross River State, Bishop (Mrs.) Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, has advised participants at the Technical Skills Training programme to take their training seriously to better their lives.
The training was organised by Women Action for Positive Development and Gender Enhancement (WAPDGEC) in collaboration with Innocent Chikwuma Chukwuemeka Entrepreneurship Foundation (ICCEF).
Bishop Otu gave the advice while declaring open the Technical Skills Training for 40 graduates and undergraduates of the State at the Engineering Department of the University of Cross River State, Calabar.
The governor’s wife, who was represented by her Special Adviser, Administration, Dr (Mrs) Comfort Oko noted that the training would not only help them become future professionals, but also employers of labour.
“This is a very welcomed initiative and training to empower young graduates and undergraduates with skills that would enable them to navigate life. Many organisations employ people with additional skills, especially digital skills, which are the reason for the ‘Girls in STEM’ project,” she said.
She commended the founders of the Entrepreneurship Foundation, for collaborating with the centre to train 40 beneficiaries a advised the beneficiaries to effectively utilize the opportunity to become entrepreneurs.
“Those of you, who have been selected, should take this training very seriously. This is additional skills that are provided for you free of charge and I would encourage you to show interest, develop yourselves and all you have to do is transport yourselves to the venue of the training, it is a worthy sacrifice you all must make to get the best of the free fully funded training,” Bishop Otu stated.
The governor’s wife expressed her passion for the training of youths, especially girls, in digital skills, explaining that her Girls in Science, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Project has trained 6,000 beneficiaries in the state.
Earlier, the Founder and Executive Director of Women In Action for Positive Development and Gender Enhancement Centre, Prof. Roibito Ekpiken-Ekanem said that as a non-profit, apolitical organisation, the focus is to promote gender equality, empower women and girls through this kind of initiative.
“In recent times, tech skills have become essential for personal and professional development. As such, this Tech Skills Training Programme is aimed at addressing critical social issues among youths that would enhance self-employment,” Ekpiken-Ekanem stated.
She also explained that the organisation was collaborating with ICCEF as the funder to “equip 40 in-school university students and graduates with four key tech skills in Graphic Design, Data Analytics, Front-End Web Design and Digital Marketing.’
“This training programme would provide the trainees with hands-on experience and practical knowledge in digital skills; encourage creativity and innovation as well as collaborative learning and serve as a foundation to pursue advanced studies in digital skills,” the WAPDGEC Founder explained.
Also speaking, the Programme Manager at ICCEF, Ms. Ayo Olanrewaju, expressed the commitment of the funders to provide young people a platform that unlocks opportunities for peer learning and IT start ups.
Olanrewaju advised the beneficiaries to utilize the 8 weeks period to develop skills that would enable them to engage socially in the global digital market as well as create wealth.
The Vice Chancellor of University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) Prof. Francisca Bassey, congratulated the trainees selected for the programme, noting that, it was an opportunity for them to learn tech skills that would benefit them.
The Vice Chancellor, who represented by Director of Academics, UNICROSS, Prof. Hannah Edim-Etta, also commended the organizer, Prof. Roibito Ekanem and the funding partners (ICCEF) for the training.
“We also appreciate the wife of the Cross River State governor, Bishop (Mrs.) Eyoanwan Otu for choosing UNICROSS to pilot the Girls in STEM project, which has given rise to this training.
One of the beneficiaries, Ann Effah, expressed excitement to be one of those selected amongst many others for the Digital marketing training.
