NITDA trains 50 persons with disability on ICT

THE National information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) has trained 50 Nigerians living with disabilities on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) essentials.

The five days training, which has in attendance people with different kinds of disabilities is part of human capacity development programmes the agency is embarking to reduce the ICT knowledge gap.

Speaking at the closing ceremony in Abuja, the Director General of NITDA, Peter Olu jack said that the agency believes that people living with disabilities can be empowered through ICT training to enable them become self reliant.

He stated that ICT is a veritable tool for empowering Nigerians adding that the training for the physically challenge in our society would know be an annual programme.

He lamented the lack of social protection for the persons living with disability saying that in line with the President Goodluck Jonathan’s agenda, the Agency would take it up as part of capacity development.

He said the objective of the programme was not only to ‘train the vulnerable people in the society but also to empowered them to make living for themselves with the use of ICT.’

He said, The participants had showed enthusiasm, the training is the first phase and it would be an annual prograame. We are not going to train you without empowering you, that is why we are giving each and everyone of you a laptop which you can use to take care of yourselves. ICT is one of the sectors of the economy that with one laptop each, you can be employers of labours.

Represented by the Director Human Resource and Administration of NITDA, Jonathan Ola-Onikpekun, the DG encouraged the participants to consider working in the proposed 200, 000 NITDA telecentre which would be a one stop where ICT businesses, corner shop and other business opportunities would be available.

Earlier in his remark, the president of Global Hope and Justice for the Less Privilege Incorporation and the organizer of the training, Paul Ihekwoaba, (esq) who describe the training as one of its kind, said it would go a long way in addressing some of the issues surrounding Youth with disabilities in the area of ICT which is in tandem with the current global trend in ensuring an all inclusive human development.

‘it is meant to address the unemployment facing youth with disabilities and also to challenge them to discover the potentials in them so as to be self reliant and less dependent’ he said.

Ihekwoaba said the training was aimed at reducing poverty and hardship facing Nigerian with disability using ICT adding that what was required of them is their attention and discipline.

He said at the end of the programme ‘your human capacity must have been enriched and empowered to the extent that, you can be economically independent at least to a reasonable extent.’

He thanked the Director Genera for not abandoning the programme because it was not his idea but give them the required support in making sure it become a reality in earnest.

One of the participants who is visually impaired commended the organizers of the programme adding that she intends to be a wed designer Another participant, Nwocha Emeka Rex observed that both NITDA and the Global Resource had through the training given them a sense of belonging, adding that he would use the knowledge he acquired to establish himself and also train others.

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