Google’s African executives announced a plan to train 20,000 Nigerian women and youth in digital skills, as reported by Reuters on August 15. Additionally, they intend to offer a grant of NGN1.2bn (equivalent to USD1.6m) to support the Nigerian government’s goal of generating one million digital jobs in the country. This announcement was made during a meeting in Abuja, where Vice President Kashim Shettima emphasized Nigeria’s aim to create digital employment opportunities for its sizable young population. While a specific timeline for the job creation was not provided, Shettima highlighted that Google’s initiative is in line with the government’s commitment to boost youth involvement in the digital economy. The program will be facilitated through a grant from Google’s philanthropic arm, in collaboration with Data Science Nigeria and the Creative Industry Initiative for Africa. Shettima noted that the government is also collaborating with local banks on this endeavor.

Olumide Balogun, Google’s director for West Africa, stated that the company will allocate funds and offer digital skills training to Nigerian women, youth, and startups, aiming to stimulate job growth. Charles Murito, Google Africa’s director of government relations and public policy, highlighted the company’s dedication to investing in digital infrastructure throughout Africa, underscoring the potential of digital transformation as a catalyst for job creation.

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/google-train-20000-nigerians-digital-skills-2023-08-15/

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/08/16/google-commits-n1-2bn-to-empower-20000-nigerians-on-digital-skills