Hon. Ayotunde Nasiru, a philanthropist, on Monday officially launched IGNITE, a free IT training designed for youths in Akomoje, Abeokuta, Ogun state capital.
The ground-breaking initiative, powered by YESDIN in partnership with Borderless TEK and supported by the Ogun State Government, aims to boost digital literacy, unlock career opportunities, and nurture entrepreneurship among young people across the state.
Wale Atekoja, founder and CEO of Black Kids Coding, a capacity building firm in Europe, is the visionary behind IGNITE.
He explained that the project was born out of his commitment to bridging the digital divide.
“IGNITE was born out of a simple but urgent conviction: our young people have limitless potential, but without the right skills, their opportunities remain limited. We cannot wait for others to bring the change—we must build it ourselves.”
Atekoja stressed that the program is not just about employability but about sparking innovation, “This is not just about training people for existing jobs. We are preparing a generation that will create the next wave of African-led technology solutions, startups, and innovations. Our youths should not only participate in the global digital economy—they should lead it.”
In his address, Nasiru emphasised the initiative’s transformative potential, “This is more than a training program—it is an opportunity to shape the future of our young people. With IGNITE, we are breaking down barriers so that anyone with the passion to learn can gain the skills to thrive in today’s global market.”
He praised the synergy between government and private partners as a model of impactful collaboration, describing it as a “partnership that works.”