The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) says it is partnering with the Lagos State Government to train four thousand youths on Information Communication and Technology (ICT) skills.
Mr Ydo Yao, the Regional Director of UNESCO, made this known on Thursday in Abuja.
Yao spoke at the graduation ceremony of 418 youths in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on development of mobile applications for entrepreneurship.
He said that UNESCO was committed to remodel ICT by engaging youths in the country meaningfully to be self-reliant economically and contribute to nation development.
According to him, the training is in line with the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development to reduce unemployment rate.
“UNESCO is engaging young women and men in promoting peace and ensures the prevention of violent extremism.
“We have already started discussion on how to work with the Lagos State Government to empower 4,000 unemployed youths within two years,” he said.
The regional director said that the demand to train youths in ICT skills across the country was high, noting that the organisation was committed to support the government, both at national and state levels.
Also, Mr Moses Viho, the Assistant Director Planning in the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, said that the state had a great number of unemployed youths which makes the training imperative.
According to Viho, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund is willing to provide counterpart funding and technical skills to train youths.
He said: “UNESCO has shown competence in the training of youths in ICT skills and that is why we are looking forward to commence this YouthMobile Project in Lagos.
“We are looking forward to starting the programme in May, to engage our youths and reduce the rate at which social vices happen in the state and its environs.”
Viho recalled that the Technical Working Group of the project recently took a stock of the facilities in Government Technical Colleges in the state to assess the level of infrastructure in the institutions.
He said that they wanted to ascertain their readiness toward actualising the project.
Viho, however, called on supporters of the project in the FCT to extend its support to Lagos for an inclusive ICT development in the country.
