…Trains Youth On ICT, Donates Medical Consumables
From Segun Babatunde in Bauchi
As part of efforts to promote peaceful coexistence among the people of the region, the North-East Development Commission(NEDC) has began a sensitisation programme for the public, particularly youths on the dangers of extremism and radicalization.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO), Alhaji Mohammed Alkali who was speaking at the graduation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) trainees in Bauchi yesterday, stated that
the commission is raising awareness on religious extremism and ways to identify signs of extremism and skills to mitigate its effect.
He stated that NEDC would work with traditional and community leaders as well as civil society organizations to advocate the importance of peace and tolerance.
“Efforts being made to prevent the most at-risk individuals from being radicalised and appeal to their conscience. The programme would emphasise on moderation and peaceful co-existence in the society.
According to him, ” The NEDC is working to increase knowledge of and respect for peaceful coexistence in the community. 20,000 cartons of drugs and medical consumables have been given to the state government to prevent the outbreak of cholera” .
NEDC Boss stated that 580 persons have been trained in the NEDC ICT Training Programme in Bauchi for Batches A, B and C, adding that In line with NEDC’s strategic plan to improve access to Information Technology (IT) in the North East, the commission has established ICT resource training centres in each of the six states of the North East, hosted in tertiary institutions in the states..
“The overall objective is to improve access to ICT resources within the region and equip the teeming youths (including those out-of-school) across the region with the necessary vocational and educational skills and tools that can make them self-reliant.
“It is a highly intensive hands-on programme that takes the select participants through specialized training in graphic design and smartphone repairs, including basic entrepreneurship development, computer appreciation and bookkeeping for small businesses,” he said.
Highlights of the event included the launching of the media Inter-Religious Programmes, Presentation of medical consumables to the State Government and certificates to the graduands of the ICT Training.
