Major international Smart Phone Industries will soon establish an assembly plant in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylvia, disclosed this in Kano State, North-Western Nigeria, during the graduation ceremony of 1,000 youths trained in GSM Phone Repairs, Maintenance, Software and Hardware Specialization.
The Minister, who did not disclose the names of the companies, said “the development was part of an agreement reached with the companies to boost Local Content Development.”
The Minister said the initiative was a combined effort of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and Nasiru Ali Ahmad, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Nassarawa Federal constituency.
“The training of the youths is out of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources designed priorities to enhance local content development with the youths taking the centre stage.
“Out of the 1,000 Youths, 600 have fully graduated and 400 will graduate before January 1st, 2021.
“Already, 2,800 youths were trained in Yobe, Bauchi and Cross River States as Smart Phone Repairs and Technicians,” explained Chief Timipre Sylvia.
The Minister who spoke via Zoom at the programme, added that Nigeria has the highest GSM Market in the whole of African countries and it is no longer news that GSM is not a luxury but an essential commodity; therefore, the training of the youths will boost the nation’s economy and local content development.
Nasiru Ali Ahmad, a member of the House of Representatives from Nassarawa Federal constituency, said the training of the 1,000 Youths on GSM Phone Repairs and Software maintenance, was part of the effort to ensure that redundant youths were fully engaged economically:
“Everyday thousands of youths are graduating from Universities and other Higher Institutions and although government is doing its possible best, it can’t provide employment for all the youths, which is why it is desirable to train them in self sustenance.”
Nasiru Ali Ahmad explained that they have already designed to train 5,000 more youths in 2021, adding that graduates are provided with shops, tools and other things needed to startup their businesses.
The Emir Of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, cautioned the trained youths against using their acquired skills in dubious activities like hacking and internet fraud nicknamed, “Yahoo Yahoo.”
