KWASSIP: Kwara’s Digital Class Enrollee 'Emmanuel' finishes training in 3days; won self a tab

KWASSIP: Kwara’s Digital Class Enrollee 'Emmanuel'  finishes training in 3days; won self a tab

•No big or small opportunity. Commitment matters in the end. The key to winning is in doing, not in wishing•

By Ibraheem Abdullateef

He appeared young but cultured as he genuflected to greet me. I have been trailing since news broke about him: the NCE holder who finished Digital Kwara two-week training in just three days.

Emmanuel, 20, a native of Kwara from Oke- Ero local government was in Ganiki, Sango when the state shutdown to contain COVID-19. Like some other youths, he was unengaged, lonely and bored.

He picked his mother's phone and was surfing the social media particularly Facebook when he came across the application link for a free two-week Digital training organised by Kwara State Social Investment Programmes in partnership with Grow with Google and Wootlab Foundation, Abuja.

As he saw the inherent advantages, he knew he had to take action. He enrolled for the program and kept a tab on feedback from the organizers. When the acceptance email came through, Emmanuel was excited. It was possible it could be another of those programmes the politicians promised but were never delivered or implemented.

"When I saw the link and applied, I didn't know it would turn out this fine. Because I didn't know anyone," he said.

Yet, he was worried. The training lasts for two-weeks. One, he had no personal phone. Two, the phone he could have used had no internet subscription. Yet he wanted to improve his knowledge of Fundamentals of Digital Marketing and become certified in Social Media Marketing, Graphics Design, Business Branding and other courses the training affords.

"I had to do it with my mother's phone. It was an opportunity I couldn't afford to miss. Although I was not totally unlearned regarding digital marketing, I didn't have any certificate. So I did a cheap one week subscription and began studying the materials and attempting the questions all day and night for three days. Mama would urge me to sleep and continue the next day but I didn't want to do so. I was aware she was just encouraging me, using her phone was obviously a disturbance for her. Coming out as the first graduate is due to determination and hardwork."

The Digital Kwara program is under K-power, a component of Kwara State Social Investment Programmes (KWASSIP). It was designed to equip at least 30,000 Kwara youths with basic digital skills relevant in the 21st century economy, in the next three years, so as to position them for employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in the growing digital economy.

Emmanuel could have begun advancing the training's core objective of deepening human capital development in the state as he already started impacting others with the acquired knowledge.

"I feel great adding to my knowledge of Digital Marketing during the lockdown. I do buy goods from Jumia so I now understand more about the scope of the business. After finishing my training, up to 10 persons that I have put through, from there feedback, are nearing the completion of the program now. I am highly delighted in helping others to grow so that we can both join hands together with our skills to move the state forward."

The 20-year-old fresh graduate of Biology/Computer Education at Kwara State Technical College of Education, Lafiagi feels motivated to learn more skills as a groundwork for brighter prospects in the near future.

"The certificate has formed part of another basic knowledge of my computer experience and it will motivate me to continue to learn more skills which will be put into practice and improve my productivity whenever I secure any job opportunity."

Emmanuel was among the 1,763 participants of the first phase of the training which started on Thursday 30th of April, 2020. The program set out to coach just 2000 but recorded 6,766 applicants. The organizers eventually informed that some 3, 195 youths were selected after the pre-training selection process. It was further slated for two phases for quality transfer of knowledge. The second phase for the other 1,432 begins on 18th of May.

Upon his show of dedication and commitment, the Anchor Kwara State Social Investment Programme(KWASSIP), Mohammed Brimah gifted him a brand new tablet phone for encouragement.

The exciting young man who was in the presence of his parents couldn't contain the happiness. The 20-year-old with no phone, who borrowed his Mama's for three days to become a certified digital marketer, got one in recognition of his zeal. The pride on his Papa and Mama's face was undeniably that of a parent whose son made them happy and the government sought to encourage.

" I am very grateful for the gifts presented to me. I am motivated by the gesture and hope it encourages others to know that there is always a reward for any good performance. So, I advise the Kwara State Government to further encourage the youth by creating more job opportunities so that they can use their skills to contribute to the development of the state," elated Emmanuel enthused.

KWASSIP has barely begun and the impacts have started percolating the length and breath of Kwara state.

Abdullateef is a social and community development advocate from Ilorin.