Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has granted automatic employment to 50 outstanding Graduates of the TechRise Project into the State Civil Service, as 849 young men and women graduated from the TechRise Cohort 2, ICT training programme.
Governor Otti who made the announcement on Saturday, at the Graduation Ceremony held at the JAAC Building, Umuahia, also directed the Head of Service to commence the documentation process.
The Governor who titled his speech, “To make a difference”, noted that the employment of the 50 outstanding Graduates would be subject to the possession of required documents and would follow due process.
“In line with our culture of creating spaces for the best to work and thrive right here in Abia, we shall be absorbing 50 of the Most Outstanding Graduates into the relevant positions in different Ministry, Department and Agencies, subject to their possession of important documents required to function in the Service.
“I am glad that the Head of Service is here. What this means is that I have lifted the embargo to employ 50 of them and as soon as that exercise is completed, the embargo comes back. The documentation you can bring to me on Monday.
“Our doors will also remain open to others who demonstrate exceptional capabilities along the way. I have since directed the relevant officials within the Civil Service to work out a suitable reward system that would enable us to attract quality hands in the tech ecosystem”, he said
Governor Otti also announced that all 849 graduates would receive Laptops, while prize winners would get an additional cash gift of ₦100,000.
He further directed that each graduate be given ₦50,000 as Christmas support and that transport be provided to convey participants to their respective Local Government Headquarters.
Governor Otti explained the TechRise Program was anchored on his administration’s belief that the future of Abia lay in the potential and creativity of its youth.
The Governor noted that the TechRise Cohort 2 graduation has brought the total number of beneficiaries trained under the initiative in the last 12 months to 1,359, following the earlier graduation of 510 participants in May.
He said that the 1,359 persons who have successfully passed through the TechRise Program in the last 12 months will provide the critical manpower required in the State’s ongoing Digital Transformation drive.
The Governor said that leadership was not about “spoon-feeding” but about creating opportunities for people to rise.
Governor Otti described the TechRise as a strategic investment in Human Capital designed to create jobs and “an elite corps of competent IT solution providers” capable of driving development, innovation and efficient service delivery across the state.
Governor Otti disclosed that the Graduates had acquired competencies in full-stack development, cybersecurity, mobile app development, data and AI engineering, as well as digital arts and animation among others.
He urged the Graduands to remain focused and continuously update their skills in the fast-evolving technology sector as well as deploy their skills in ways that would improve Abia’s economy, noting that “to whom much is given, much is also expected”.
“The truth is that while a career in ICT offers lucrative opportunities, it is also a very demanding territory. You have to be up and going, constantly exposing yourselves to new trends and never settling on the laurels of yesterday”, he said.
He commended the Ministries of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Sports and Youth Development, as well as the 17 local government mayors, for what he described as “a new standard in inter-agency collaboration and impactful partnership”.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, disclosed that the Abia TechRise Project is an advanced Digital Skills Training Program for Abia Youths, by the State Government and the 17 Local Government Mayors, in collaboration with LearnFactory Nigeria and Championed by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, along with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Youth Development.
He stressed that digital literacy has become essential for economic competitiveness adding that the graduation marks more than the award of certificates.
The Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr David Kalu, urged the graduates to keep learning and practising their skills, noting that Abia now has policies and structures, including the Abia Startup Law, to support innovation.
“Yes, you are now qualified for good jobs, and I encourage you to pursue them. But I also challenge you to think bigger. Think to start up something new”, he said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Sir Nwaobilor Ananaba, described the graduates as “agents of change, job creators and problem solvers”, pointing out that the programme has positioned them to drive innovation and prosperity in the State.
The TechRise Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of LearnFactory Nigeria, Mr Chibueze Ukegbu, said the initiative was designed not just to produce skilled technicians but leaders with character, capacity and entrepreneurial mindset.
He noted that the Program included Leadership Training, Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship modules as well as Full Stack Web Development with JavaScript, Full Stack Web Development with Python, AI fundamentals & Prompt Engineering, Data Engineering, Product Management & UI/UX Design among other courses.
Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, a TechRise Cohort 1 graduate and team leader of a prize-winning project, Charles Ikechukwu, said the skills acquired enabled his team to develop a Digital Waste Management solution aimed at supporting Government efforts in environmental sustainability.
The event also featured project presentations, Award/Certificate presentation and a minute silence in honour of a participant, Princewill Ogbonna , who died shortly after completing the programme.
