The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mrs. Ukinebo Dare

  • Edo Innovation Hub seeks more occupants for co-working spaces

    The Edo Innovation Hub has opened its doors for entrepreneurs in Edo State and environs to take opportunity of its co-working spaces and other facilities made available at the technology cluster in driving innovation and strengthening the tentacles of the tech ecosystem in the state.

    The Edo Innovation Hub, a brainchild of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration, is a fully-furnished cluster for technology companies, fitted with state-of-the-art support structures including high-speed internet, power, indoor and outdoor works paces, library, conference rooms, training rooms, among others. It also hosts the South-South Innovation Hub, an initiative of the federal government, domiciled in the Vice President’s office for youths in South-South Nigeria to leverage technology in solving everyday problems.

    Read Also:Edo Innovation Hub partners Siemens on ‘The Hack Edo Series’

    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Skills Development and Job Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, said that the Edo Innovation Hub is arguably one of the best equipped and furnished spaces to run a start-up company in Southern Nigeria.

    Explaining that Governor Godwin Obaseki is committed to equipping youths in the state with the right environment to birth tech ideas, she said, “We are excited to be opening up the Edo Innovates cluster to budding entrepreneurs in Edo State and environs. We are open to working with them, providing the enabling environment to nurture their start-ups, and training and other benefits of a co-working space.”

    She noted that some of the services provided in the hub include virtual office, shared desks, dedicated desks, private office and serviced office, all of which have access to services such as mail handling, electricity, business support, workshop and training and networking opportunities.

    She said some of the programmes outlined for the third quarter of the year at the hub are Microsoft and Tech4Dev digital skills training for entrepreneurs; Curators University’s Artificial Intelligence and Data Science boot camp for 49 budding developers; Microsoft’s Basic Digital Literacy for Teachers; and Oracle train-the-trainers programme for teachers.

    Others, according to her, include Butterflyworks Netherlands’s three-day co-creation event, which will engage the local community, youths and employers.

    She said the hub currently plays host to Mobicure, a tech business that provides mothers access to doctors, as well as Toogle Nigeria Limited (5k Academy), a web-based training provider, which facilitates professional training on project management, marketing, programming, among others.

  • Edo Innovation Hub maps sustainability path

    …Completes training for 724 entrepreneurs

     

    The Edo State Government-backed Edo Innovation Hub, a cluster for innovators and inventors in Benin City, has trained at least 724 entrepreneurs in less than three months of operation and has now drawn up a sustainability plan that will see the private sector drive activities at the cluster.

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, at the launch of the hub in June, noted that the government is priming youths to evolve and strengthen the technology ecosystem in the state. He added that the state is going to leverage on technology for job creation and enterprise development.

    Read Also:Three kidnapped Rivers APC stalwarts regain freedom

    In a statement, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Job Creation and Skills Development, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, said that the facility houses the South-South Innovation Hub with two halls, five training rooms, six fully-furnished co-working spaces, four rooms with a total of 100 computers, offices, conference rooms, outdoor workspaces, among others.

    She said of the 724 entrepreneurs, “200 females are being trained by Microsoft and Tech4Dev; 32 persons participated in LinkedIn MeetUp sessions to build a vibrant business community and leverage networking for local and international businesses; 49 budding app developers participated in Curators University’s Artificial Intelligence boot camp; 23 developers were trained by Hotels.NG on coding and app development.

    “Other partners include Makers Academy, who trained 40 students on robotics; Pan Atlantic University University’s Enterprise Development Centre, trained 59 entrepreneurs on entrepreneurship and innovation; Siemens, Impact Hub conducted pre-hackathon orientation for 25 aspiring entrepreneurs in the power sector while Microsoft took 50 teachers on Basic Digital Literacy for Teachers.”

    She said that there is a sustainability plan in place to ensure that the private sector takes the lead in the growth of the state’s technology ecosystem, adding that trainings and business incubation would continue at the facility.

    She added that ATC Nigeria donated three fully equipped ICT centers in Benin, Irrua and Ekpoma, to deepen the penetration of tech-driven development across the state.

    Explaining that a good number of the firms at the hub have expressed interest for long-term partnership with the state government, she said that the state government is exploring the option of a trust fund to sustain the hub.

  • EdoJobs takes skills devt mandate to Uhunmwode, Orhionmwon LGAs

    … completes orientation programme for school leavers

     

    As part of efforts to actualise Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s skills development mandate, EdoJobs, the state’s platform for skills development and jobs creation, is carrying out a census of unemployed youths in Uhunmwode and Orhionmwon Local Government Areas, to identify skills gaps and capacity building need of the two local councils.

    Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Skills Development and Job Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, who disclosed this in a chat with journalists, said that the census will help EdoJobs fashion training modules to fit the needs of the communities in the councils.

    According to her, “During the registration held on Wednesday July 11, Friday July 13 and on Monday July 16, there was massive turnout as many persons from all the wards in Uhunmwode and Orhionmwon Local Government Areas were registered on the EdoJobs database.”

    “The Special Assistants from all the wards supported the exercise by mobilising members of their communities for the exercise. With the registration, we will be able to identify the skills gap, train youths and match them with job opportunities.”

    She said there is an elaborate plan to revamp selected Skills Acquisition Centres in the communities in preparation for the train-to-hire programme.

    Meanwhile, EdoJobs has concluded plans to partner the technology company, Bits Global, to train 100 school leavers on in-demand technology skills.

    According to Dare, “As part of Governor Obaseki’s promise to create 200,000 jobs, we have entered into partnership with Bits Global to train 100 under-privileged school leavers on basic ICT skills.”

    She explained that the training will assist the school leavers develop early interest in exploring opportunities in Nigeria’s evolving technology eco-system.

    She added, “The beneficiaries praised Governor Obaseki for the initiative. Some of them never had an encounter with the computer prior to the orientation week.”

    The orientation week covered lessons on the importance of computing, Internet, MS PowerPoint, Basics of presentation, Typing, MS Word, among others.

    The participants were carefully selected from the community hosting the Edo Innovation Hub, “Edo Innovates.” The training is specifically designed for young school leavers of 16 – 24 years of age.

    EdoBits is a project set up by the Edo State Government, Butterfly Works, and EkoBits to reduce unemployment in Edo State and aid youth in acquiring internationally-certified training. It is licensed by an entity called We are Bits based in the Netherlands

  • Edo to recruit 204 teachers for technical, vocational education

    To further strengthen its Technical and Vocational Education sub-sector, the Edo State Government will in the coming weeks recruit not less than 204 teachers.

    The recruitment is being conducted through the Edo Jobs platform and will serve to fortify technical schools in the state with young, qualified teachers in the various subject and technical areas.

    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Skills Development and Jobs, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, said that the state’s Ministry of Education is recruiting the teachers through the Edo Jobs platform to ensure integrity, synergy, and transparency in the recruitment process.

    She said applicants will have to register on the platform to be considered for the roles, as Edo Jobs will be responsible for interviewing and shortlisting candidates and referring them to the ministry.

    According to her, “Companies in Edo State recruit through our portal as we have a pool of job seekers who we train and prepare for the workplace. At the moment, the state government has about 204 vacancies for vocational and general studies teachers and other non-teaching staff in schools. Applicants can access the vacancies on the Edo Jobs site.”

    The state government needs graduates to teach the following: Electrical Installation and Maintenance Work, Motor Vehicle Mechanic Work, Business Studies, Block Laying/Concreting (building), Engineering Drawing, Welding and Fabrication, Hotel and Catering, Carpentry and Joinery, Mechanical Engineering Craft Practice and Radio and Television Repairs Work, among others.

    The vacancies in the general studies category include those for English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Civic Education, Home Economics, Economics, Commerce, Computer Science, Refrigeration and Air-condition.

    Non-teaching staff required include Laboratory Attendants (physics, chemistry, biology); Workshop Demonstrators, Typists, and Clerical Assistants, among others.

     

  • Edo trains 150 youths in Career Kickstarter Programme

    Edo State Government has commenced a three weeks employability skills training for 150 youths in its Career Kickstarter programme to equip them with relevant technical and soft skills for the workplace.

    The state’s Skills Development platform, EdoJobs, organised the training after short-listing participants from its database. The 150 youths are the second batch of trainees under the Career Kickstarter programme, being executed by GidiJobs.

    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Skills Development and Jobs, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, said that the Career KickStarter Programme was developed to help disadvantaged youths become competitive and employable within the job market.

    “It is a career building platform aimed at bridging the gap between the knowledge gained from the formal education sector and the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to function effectively in today’s global work environment,” she said.

    Read Also: Obaseki promises to complete NYSC Orientation Camp

    She noted that the initiative is being championed in a bid to create 200,000 jobs by 2020 by the Governor Godwin Obaseki led-administration, adding that the training will culminate in a jobs fare.

    According to her, the modules to be taken includes, business writing, accounts for non-Accountants, problem-solving and use of initiative, workplace ethics and telephone etiquette, professional dress sense and confidence building.

    Others, she said, are excellence in customer service, selling skills and Information and Communication Technology skills.

    She said the target is for beneficiaries to become directly engaged/self-sufficient upon completion of their training.