The minister gave the charge at the weekend during a formal presentation of 10 Nigerian students selected for scholarship by the Huawei Technologies in China from top universities in Nigeria after tests and interviews.
He also challenged the youth to stop thinking of how to become employees but think about becoming potential employers of labour, saying that the youth being a digital generation must aspire to be the agents of digital economy Nigeria desperately desires now.
Those selected include, Ugwu Obinna, University of Ibadan; Udochi Young, Covenant University; Akingbola Oluwapemisin, University of Ibadan; Onuora Chiamaka, University of Lagos; Ihenyen Joy, Igbinedion University; Fatima Rabiu, Ahmadu Bello University; Kolade Joseph, Cloud Exchange Technical School; David Kemdirim, University of Port Harcourt; Abdussamad Musa, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University; and Abdulrrahman Aliyu, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.
According to him, the awardees must to think of how to employ 50,000 people in the next few years after their training in China and to bridge gap between Academia Industry. The minister said, “You should come up with big ideas, that will completely change the world. This trip for us is part of the mentorship program we have started enrolling.
Throughout the trip make sure you are learning from the experience. Let them share their experience on what they have achieved so far, the way they struggled before achieving success is very important, it will help you perceive the challenges that may come ahead, being digital personalities.
“Don’t be thinking about being potential employees, come up with big ideas where you become potential employers, instead of looking for someone to employ you. What we want you to do is each and every one of you should think of how to employ 50,000 people in the next few years. ICT other than digital technology has the potential of employing and lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
You are now stakeholders as young innovators towards removing this number of Nigerians out of poverty.” The minister, who described the selected scholars as Mack Zukerberc and Steve Jobs of Nigeria congratulated them on the success they have recorded so far. He also challenged them to learn from emerging technologies that put China on the top ladder of development and bring them home with disruptive ideas that will change the lives of other Nigerians for good.
Speaking earlier, the Managing Director, Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited, Mr. Zhang Lulu, said Huawei has been part of the success story of Nigeria’s ICT sector in the past 20 years. According to him, the company believes that people are the most valuable asset, and investment in people is the most important investment.
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