There appears to be total dearth of electronic and technical engineering skills among youths in Nigeria and the rest of the African continent.

Currently in Nigeria, there is a huge gap in the availability of skilled manpower, which cuts across almost every facet of economic endeavour in the country. Hitherto, technical colleges were highly recommended for technical skills acquisition, but unfortunately, today, most technical colleges have become relics.

Due to inadequate funding and improper management, most of the facilities in these colleges have become derelict.

According to findings, Nigerian youths no longer attend technical colleges as a result the way society sees certificate holders of technical education.

But the introduction of Samsung Engineering Academy, a flagship initiative focused on developing young skilled technicians across Africa, the game has changed as it has bridged skill gap in both Electronic and Technical Engineering in Nigeria and across Africa.

With the initiative, the electronic giant in the past few years has helped to develop skills among young people in Nigeria, a strategy designed to bring out the best in people by providing necessary tools to aid growth and development.

The beginning

Established in Nigeria in 2012, at the Government Technical College, Ikeja in Lagos State, the capacity building programme is an integral part of Samsung’s vision to reduce unemployment within Nigeria to its barest minimum by investing its resources in training and empowering young Nigerians.

Accordingly, the academy has helped to trim down the huge dearth of skilled manpower in the technical and engineering fields in Nigeria, furthermore creating clear cut pathways to job opportunities.

The Academy, an initiative under the Samsung Hope for Children portfolio, was borne out of the need to positively impact the society by helping to provide students in the scheme with free hands-on, vocational training.

The initiative is expected to rapidly close the huge gap in technical skills available on the continent.

Students undergo a one-year programme comprising basic, intermediate and advanced engineering skills and are subsequently introduced to industry-appropriate practices, tools and equipment.

Engineering academy

In addition to ensuring that Africa develops an adequate pool of engineering skills, the academy also provides learners with well-paying job opportunities, a commitment that supports the Nigerian government’s drive to address youth unemploy-ment.