By Emeka Aginam

THE World Bank, through the ACCESS Nigeria project, is to fund the training of about 1, 500 young Nigerian graduates in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Information Technology (IT) for the outsourcing Industry.

The beneficiaries are currently being trained for 10 weeks in five cities — Abuja, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos. The initiative is expected to equip the graduates with necessary IT skills and knowledge for the global job market. ACCESS, which is initially focusing on foundational skills, is targeting jobs getting created in call centers, existing jobs across different sectors that require ICT skills.

Meanwhile, the Country Director, World Bank Nigeria, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, while commending the scheme said that without the foundational skills, it is difficult for youth to break into the new job market.

“What the study showed comprehensively is that there is a strong potential for job creation in the ICT area and services area. But one of the hurdles to realizing the potential is the skills gap. This was a key driver behind the development of ACCESS Nigeria program,”, she added.