UMUAHIA — Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has lifted the state’s civil service recruitment ban to facilitate the immediate employment of 19 outstanding graduates of the state’s TechRise Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programme.
Otti announced the decision in Umuahia at the graduation ceremony of the third cohort of the programme, where 850 youths completed a three-month intensive ICT training.
The governor said the recruitment was part of his administration’s strategy to retain top talents produced by the programme and deploy their expertise to improve public service delivery.
“I’m hereby lifting the ban on civil service employment and directing the Head of Service to immediately and automatically recruit the 19 of you.
“So by the time that is done, the ban would now continue.
“A central part of our value multiplication outlook is to retain the best hands from each cohort of the programme and have them contribute directly in improving social service delivery through the institutions of government,” Otti said.
He directed the Head of Service to work with the Chief Information Officer and other relevant officials to identify ICT competency gaps across ministries, departments and agencies that could be filled by qualified TechRise graduates.
Otti also directed the establishment of a special salary cadre for ICT professionals in the civil service, subject to applicable conditions.
The governor said the 850 laptops used by the graduates during the training had been transferred to them as personal property to support continued learning and professional development.
He also announced a cash gift of N100,000 for each of the 850 graduates and urged them to deploy their skills to create businesses, innovations and employment opportunities.
“The most encouraging development from today’s graduation ceremony is the introduction of hundreds of new job-ready professionals into our economy,” he said.
Otti disclosed that 2,210 youths had so far completed the TechRise programme since its commencement, describing the latest graduation as another milestone in preparing young people for the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He urged the graduates to convert their skills into viable businesses and innovations and warned against using their knowledge for criminal purposes.
The governor also commended graduates who developed a functional drone and directed the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to work with the team to explore its commercial viability.
He further disclosed plans to establish international-standard ICT examination and certification centres in Abia, to enable residents obtain professional certifications without travelling outside the state.
Also speaking, Mr Uzor Nwachukwu, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said the state government, in partnership with the 17 local government areas, had equipped 2,210 youths through the three cohorts of the fully funded three-month TechRise programme.
Nwachukwu described the beneficiaries as “architects of the state’s digital future.”
The Coordinator of TechRise and Chief Executive Officer of LearnFactory, Mr Chibueze Ukaegbu, said the programme had also trained 2,500 civil servants in computer skills, with plans to increase the number to 5,000.
Ukaegbu said the organisation planned to introduce coding programmes for primary and secondary school pupils across the state.
He listed the courses offered under TechRise as Creative Arts, Cyber Security, Full Stack Development, AI Animation, Product Management, Computer Design and Manufacturing, and Enterprise Fathom.
One of the graduates, Mr Victor Onuoha, thanked the state government for empowering the youths through the programme and appealed for its extension to young people who were not accommodated in the first, second and third cohorts.
The ceremony featured the presentation of certificates to overall best participants representing the seven courses offered under the programme.
The TechRise Cohort 3 programme was designed for 850 Abia youths, with the official programme platform confirming the selection of 850 participants from 19,881 applications across the state’s 17 local government areas.
