Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has charged youths to tap the numerous opportunities in the technology and information sector regardless of their backgrounds so they could better contribute to societal development.
The governor said this in commemoration of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, marked every May 17, by the United Nations.
The governor said the state government has built structures to encourage youths to pick up opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), which includes the Edo Innovation Hub, which has trained over 1000 youths and the proposed Edo Creative Hub.
According to him, “As the world marks the International Telecommunications and Information Society Day, I want to use this opportunity to urge youths to explore the opportunities available at the Edo Innovation Hub. With a focus on technology regardless of their background, they would be positioning themselves to be employable and to contribute to solving societal problems. At the Edo Innovation Hub, we are grooming developers who are picking up skills in data science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), among others, which are widely sought after.”
He added that more initiatives have been set up to ensure that more young people are given the opportunity to discover themselves and exploit their potentials, noting, “We are building an Edo State where our people will be at the forefront of innovations. That is why we are driving the process and ensuring that the needed structures are in place to inspire youths to take up the ever-growing opportunities in technology.”
According to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, “We celebrate the 50th anniversary of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, highlighting the importance of international technology standards in accelerating innovation worldwide.
“Technological advances such as 5G and the Internet of Things have the potential to deliver considerable social and economic benefits and to drive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The standards-making process of the International Telecommunication Union is more important than ever, and I commend the ITU’s commitment to inclusivity, consensus and bridge-building among governments, companies and universities from all regions of the world.”