By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja.
Ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s expected assent to the Nigeria Peace Corps Establishment Bill, the officers and men of the organization are to undergo rigorous training to be able to face the coming challenges.
The first leg of the training, which centres on digital literacy training, was on Tuesday in Abuja kick-started with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with a United Kingdom-based ASQ Development and Training Company.
The National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Prof. Dickson Akoh, signed for his organization while Mr. Samson Adeosun endorsed the document on behalf of the UK-based company.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday on the development, Akoh disclosed that ICT Instructors from the United Kingdom based Company would establish centres in the six geo-political zones of the country to enable the company undertake effective training of the participants.
The National Commandant disclosed that out of the membership strength of over 187,000 comprising regular members and volunteers, no fewer than 15,000 have already registered for the training.
Akoh explained that although most of his members are university graduates of different disciplines, equipping them with digital literacy skills, he said, will no doubt sufficiently prepare them to discharge their responsibilities in line with the core mandate of the organization.
“It is important to note here that the world is going digital and the need to equip our members who are mostly youth with digital literacy skills cannot be overemphasized.
“However, on our part and as part of building the capacity of our members for a robust, effective and efficient service delivery, we have taken some far-reaching steps to adequately prepare our officers and men for challenges in anticipation of the eventual assent by Mr President to the Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian Peace Corps, which shall give Statutory backing to this organization.
“The MoU signed with ASQ Development and Training Company will enable the ICT Instructors from the Company to establish Centers in the six geo-political zones of the country for the purpose of training our members in their respective zones.
“As you may be aware, this organization has a well-structured network of offices in all the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory as well as offices in over 94% of the local government areas in the country with a membership strength of over 187,000, which comprises of regular members and volunteers.
“Most of these are university graduates of different disciplines. Therefore, equipping them with digital literacy skills will in no doubt sufficiently prepare them to discharge their responsibilities as it relates to our core mandate.
‘However, the consultants from ASQ Development and Training Company, in executing the MoU, are to subject our members to a 3-Day in-house rigorous and intensive lecture programs while the remaining part of the training will be conducted Virtually.
“Thereafter, the company is expected to provide a web-based training platform for our officers and men to acquire essential basic information technology skills and certification to enhance human capital development across all professional sectors,” he stressed.
Akoh explained that the training would take off this weekend across the country and that the courses would include the introduction to computer information technology, introduction to working with computer and devices, introduction to working with soft-ware applications, introduction to internet, networks and networking basics and introduction to cloud cHe added that the training will also involve introduction to computer programming basics, introduction to data-based basics, introduction to artificial intelligence basics and introduction to robotics.
The National Commandant thanked the company for identifying with the value-driven initiatives of the Corps tailored towards socio-economic empowerment of the youth.