Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has described the Google Digital Skills Community initiative, for owners of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises across the state billed for inauguration on Thursday, in Aba as timely and commendable.
Governor Ikpeazu said the Digital Skills Community initiative would compliment the efforts of the state government in the area of developing small businesses and tackling unemployment.
Speaking when officials of Google paid him a visit in Umuahia, the Governor represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Chris Ezem said that acquiring digital skills would enable one to provide efficient and effective services to one’s clientele.
“This would galvanise the commercial environment which Aba has been known for and take it to the next level.
“The state government is fully in support of what you are doing and will go all the way to ensure that the people of Abia take advantage of it”, Ikpeazu said.
Earlier, the Head of Public Policy of Google in Sub-Saharan Africa, Miss Seember Nyager, said that the initiative was part of the organisation’s efforts to provide sustained digital training opportunities for operators of small businesses in the state.
Nyager said that Google was willing to partner the state government, through ensuring that the initiative would be linked and integrated into the development agenda of the present administration and expressed belief that there is a lot that can be harnessed through the application of digital skills in manufacturing business.
She implored those with tremendous skills to utilise the opportunity and take their business to the next level adding that the initiative is one of the many things Google will be doing in Abia state.
In her speech, the Head of Brand and Reputation of Google in Sub-Saharan Africa, Mrs Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, said the Digital Skill Community initiative was introduced to connect the citizenry with Google.
Aderemi-Makinde said that Google was committed to providing sustained training platforms for Nigerians to enable them use the skills they acquire to build and boost their businesses.
In his remark, Google Training Partner, Mr Daniel Chinagozi, said that the training program was aimed at getting no fewer than 10,000 persons equipped with digital skills.
Chinagozi appealed to the state government to partner with Google to facilitate the establishment of a Google G-Station in Abia, adding that it would boost economic growth of the state.
