By Uche Bibilari
The Co-Founder of SkolaKonnect, a digital platform, Ms Obehi Ogbeide, has underscored the need for students to acquire skills and become self-employed while still in school to help reduce unemployment in the country.Ogbeide said this during the Future Forward Campus Tour and unveiling of the platform in partnership with the University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University, on Thursday in Gwagwalada.
According to her, the platform is designed to help university students earn income and build professional experience while still in school.She said the initiative was created to help students build portfolios, gain experience and earn money before graduation.The co-founder said the project aimed to bridge the gap between education and employment by giving students opportunities to monetise their digital skills.
“This will help students graduate with professional experience they can showcase to employers and clients,” she said.Ogbeide explained that the activation at the university was part of a nationwide campus rollout following an earlier launch at Baze University, adding that more campuses would soon be covered.
She said the platform’s pioneer solution, “Scholar Gigs,” was an exclusive online freelance marketplace for university students to market their digital skills.According to her, students can offer services such as graphic design, video editing and social media management to clients within and outside Nigeria.She encouraged students to embrace the platform as a means of financial support and professional development.
“This platform will help students earn money and support themselves with feeding, data and other needs while reducing the burden on their families.“It also helps them develop professional etiquette through interaction with clients even before graduation,” she said.
Similarly, Mr David-Chiedum Obunike, a representative of Sapphital Ltd, one of the sponsors and technical partners, described the initiative as a youth empowerment platform.
Obunike explained that the platform was not created to train students but to provide opportunities for those who already possessed skills.He said the platform served as a marketplace where users could advertise jobs and connect with skilled students for services.
“When students sign up, employers can reach out to them for jobs such as graphic design, video production and other digital services from within and outside the country.“This creates opportunities for Nigerian youths to earn income and showcase their talents,” he said.
Obunike said many university students already possessed talents in areas such as music production, writing, graphics and video editing, which could become viable sources of income.
He advised students to acquire relevant digital skills and continuously improve themselves to remain competitive in the evolving global economy.“My advice to students is to pick up a skill and develop it. The world is changing rapidly, and digital skills will help young people empower themselves and others around them,” he said.
Obunike also encouraged students to explore online learning platforms to acquire skills such as video editing, web development, mobile app creation and graphic design. (NAN) www.nannews.ng