FOUND NG to transform Africa, .begins training of 20,000 youths in digital skills in Ibadan

JOSEPH OKWUOFU, Ibadan

A fast growing tech company, FOUND NG Technology has revealed that its main objective was to solve the identity system for Africans through digital skills and training of  youths to drive data transformation in the continent .

It said this it hoped to accomplish through partnership with tech giant , Google and other critical stakeholders .

This was disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of FOUND Africa Technology, Olajide Aboderin, at the launch of a series, titled: ‘Workspace Happy Hour’, in partnership with Cafe One, and Sterling Bank  in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

To pilot the project, Aboderin said FOUND NG Tech would be collaborating with the Oyo State government to train 20,000 youths in digital skills .

He said: “We are working towards looking at the identity system for the Africans. Our overall goal is the calculation of the Africa continent. That identity is the major problem in Africa. So, if we look at the name FOUND, what are we looking for? An individual, we can find him on our data base. We are few years away from that, in our current face, we partner with a company like Google to use this technology to thrive data transformation at the current stage we are, and what is that? Simple things like we need for business, we would be surprised that 40 to 60 per cent of SMS in Nigeria are not using professional business equipment.

“For whatever reason, they’re using their Gmail, they’re using their yahoo and all of that but productivity, collaboration, profitability can even improve just by dynamic shift from using some business technology tools like Gmail, flash drive and maybe hard drive to moving to the clouds. This is what Google presents.

“We are starting from even the basics of clouds and all of that. So, we’re selling and training youths, individual and SMEs on using these digital products. Now, we are doing this community by community. Let’s take Oyo State for example; we want to penetrate communities in Oyo State. ”

The training is expected to ensure teaching of small and medium business owners and individuals essential tools to boost productivity and manage business processes better.

According to him, the 20,000 youths in Oyo State will be trained within the next 24 months in digital transformation.

“Our goal is to train 20,000 youth in Oyo State over the next 24 months. Youth is not just about young people. They are people between 18 years and 45 years. We want to train as many as possible over the next few months. This shall be a partnership that we will sign with the government and Google. Our dream is to make Oyo State, and Ibadan in particular, the next Silicon Valley of Africa”, Aboderin stated.

As a Google partner, FOUND NG, he noted, was expected to leverage its relationship with Google to promote the use of Google Workspace, a comprehensive suite of cloud-based tools for creation, communication, collaboration, document management, and streamlined productivity.

He added that the tech company would leverage on its relationship with Google to promote the use of Google Workspace, a comprehensive suite of cloud-based tools for creation, communication, collaboration, document management, and streamlined productivity.

Speaking at the launch, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Information Communication Technology (ICT), Moshope Adebayo Akande, commended FOUND NG for the wonderful initiative.

He expressed his familiarity with the company and their dedication to the growth and development of the youth, organizations and the government.

Governor Makinde administration, according to him, has focused on e-governance and digital transformation, resulting in positive outcomes in the state.

Akande acknowledged the alignment between the vision of FOUND NG and the state’s vision, particularly for the youth interested in careers in the digital tech industry.

“As a result, we are eager to partner with forward-thinking organizations like FOUND NG for the progress and advancement of Oyo State. The Workspace Happy Hour, launched by FOUND NG in partnership with Café One and other partners, has the potential to transform the state and Nigeria as a whole”, he stated.

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