A university lecturer, Dr Michael Eliku, has called on the government to help schools go beyond vocational to digital skills to place the country among developing or developed nations of the world.
Eliku, who lectures at Baze University, Abuja, said this would help to fast track the industrialisation process and put the nation on a global map.
The don gave the advice at the ”passing the light of digital literacy to the youth, through modern ways of learning programme. “
The programme, held at Baze University Abuja, was organised by Global Wissen Consult in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden in Nigeria.
He advised governments at all levels to promote and invest in digital education and digital skills in line with the goal of Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC).
“According to NUC regulation, every tertiary institution in Nigeria should mount entrepreneurship programmes at various levels.”
He said that Baze University had looked at the contemporary issues in Nigeria and the future and decided to go away from vocational skills to digital skills.
The don, therefore, urged universities and other tertiary institutions in the country to embrace information technology and digital entrepreneurship.
“Universities out there should embrace it, Digital entrepreneurship is the way to go IT is the way to go, it is the way to the future, it is not just the future because the future starts now,” said.
According to him, digital entrepreneurship is an IT based skill and internet based skill, where students are taught how to develop apps to grow their businesses.
He said that with it, student could develop apps for transport business like Uber or Bolt, food vendors, fashion designers among others to make business, transaction, trade and commerce easier.
“Some also could design apps for logistic and deliveries, they can enhance.
“The beauty of it is that digital skills cut across various disciplines.We have passed the era of soap making, izal making and all the rest.
“The digital entrepreneurship will help those who are doing that to market their business, irrespective of discipline, sector or chosen field,” he said.
Oscar Nwokeji- Co-founder Global wissen consult, Swedish-Nigeria Social Development Enterprise, said the programme was established to pass the light of digital literacy to the youth in the country.
“We signed an MOU with the Baze University on enhancement of digital literacy on the campus and also education in the digital aspect of the students.
“We have trained over 600, but by the semester ending we should have over a 1,000 students.
“We want to pass the light of digital literacy to the youths, going through the universities in the country, NYSC camps churches, wherever we found youths to give them digital literacy, that’s our target,” he said.
He commended the youth’s reception to digital literacy, stressing that it had been so good as they are familiar with it.
”They are excited to learn and there are exciting things coming out in the digital space like 3D, block chain and this excites the youth, ” he said.
He commended Swedish government for its support for the project.
According to him, the Swedish government creates further opportunities like mentorship, exchange programme and also resources to take their ideas to the market place at the end of programme.
One of the students and a beneficiary,, Eldad Akhawmere expressed gratitude to the Global Wissen Consult, the initiation and the Swedish government for the programme.
“I have benefited a lot form the programme I think it is a very good initiative because it’s not just learning about how to be an entrepreneur,.
“We live in the 21st century and digital marketing is the key, so if you’re an entrepreneur and you are not able to scale your business in the digital sense, then there is hardly any prospect for growth.
“So, this course enables students to develop their own businesses and put in the digital market place. I have learnt great skills; I have come up with market place ideas which I will be pitching very soon.
“I learnt to make an e-commerce site; I have learnt many things about business analysis, and how to develop a niche.”
Another student, Opara Tiffany, said that the programme was interesting, I learnt how to be a good entrepreneur and I also learnt how to start a business.
“The programme lasted for three months. I do not know anything about business before, but now I do. I know how to identify target market and I have started one business. I started selling jewelries, I know my target market and my niche,” she said.