By Edwin Philip
Youth in Nasarawa State have been urged to take positive advantage of the unlimited opportunities in the digital space to make to make a decent living and promote healthy relationships with each other economically, politically , religiously and otherwise.
The advice was given by the President of BAT Bloggers organization, Mr Mubarak Yunusa, during a two day event organised by the Bat Voice Project on digital literacy and empowering the next generation, which took place at the Nasarawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency hall in Lafia.
Yunusa, said the initiative is to open opportunities for the youths and student to have the requisite knowledge and build on the opportunities available in digital marketing, cyber security, data analysis and social media monetization, which have made so many young persons Independent and self reliant while positively earning a living and assisting their families.
The initiative which has taken place Katsina, Kano, and Jigawa States, the event in Nasarawa saw close to 200 hundred youths, students and members of the National Youth Service Corps NYSC actively participating and learning the skills from seasoned facilitators and been empowered with digital tools.
“We want to achieve digital literacy to empower the the young generation, we all know that the world is moving fast and the digital space is not waiting for anyone, so we don’t want the young people to be left behind in connecting with the rest of the world that is why we are bringing it to the State, to empower students, the youth and the upcoming generation to know more about the digital space” he said.
The president of the BAT Bloggers Organization, said the initiative is sponsored by Mr. Seyi Tinubu, whom he said knows the youth so well, and has the youth at heart and always been giving support to any issues that concerns the youth of Nigeria and the desire the progress of the current generation of young people.
According to him, ” Every State we go they are always giving us their full cooperation, Nasarawa State is a potential place because I love what am seeing here, the way the students and everyone is engaging it shows that they are ready to learn, you can see they have been asking a lot of questions, we don’t want anybody that comes here should go without understanding anything” he said.
He however charged the participants to appreciate president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who’s son Seyi is the sponsor of the initiative, saying that President Tinubu is a man who has the youth at heart, which can be seen in him appointing a youth as is a minister of youth, a man that started from nowhere, the son of nobody becoming a minister, he also spoke on the student loan scheme which he said is next to none in renewing the hope in indigent students in the country.
Speaking on the importance of the Batvoice project on promoting digital literacy, he the sky is wide enough for anyone to shine and blow, as a lot can be done legitimately on the cyber space to take care of one self, family and your loved ones.
“The digital space is quite open for anybody to learn anything, digital marketing, cyber security, social media monetization, which you can take care of your family without relying on anybody, we want people to wake up and learn new things, a lot of things to learn, a lot of new skills” he added.
On his part the Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule on on youth and Students affairs, Hon Muhammed Lawal said his principal is a youth friendly governor and implemented several life charging initiative that has put the youths of Nasarawa State on the global lime light in all facet of human endeavours.
He added that the provisions of the Nasarawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency hall in Lafia for the event to take place, symbolizes he commitment to literal literacy which his drive for E-governannce for a smart service delivery.
Several stakeholders who are members of the team, spoke on the benefit of the youth of today to be armed with digital skills and knowledge as the world has gone past pen and paper and the four walls of offices to make money and live a good life.
Participants at the event praised the initiative of the son of the president, Seyi Tinubu for having them in mind by empowering them with skills that will make them global citizens while they making money, promising to support the administration for such lofty ideas to continue to flow in the direction of the people.