The Wife of the Oyo State Governor, Tamunominini Makinde, says the acquisition of both digital literacy and Information Technology skills has become imperative, more than ever, for individuals to remain relevant and enhance their future.

Makinde disclosed this while speaking at an event to commemorate the 2021 International Day of the Girl Child, themed, “Digital Generation, Our Generation.”

She urged Students and Teachers of Secondary schools across the state on the need to be digitally literate to be relevant now and in the future.

At the event, held at the House of Chiefs, House of Assembly Complex, Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, Makinde noted that the emphasis over time had been on the Students, but that it is crucial for Teachers to also equip themselves technologically, to be on the same page with their students, whom she described as “tech-savvy”.

She enjoined female students to take seriously Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and correct the insinuation that STEM courses are more of the jurisdiction of male students.

Stressing that everything today is a product of technology, the Governor’s Wife urged female students to take keener interest in Information Technology (IT), while also praying that more females get involved in the coding and development of computer programmes.

Makinde urged students to explore the Internet to choose their career paths, network mentors and acquire and share ideas that would positively impact the world, stressing that students should reap the benefits of ever changing technological innovations and not expose themselves to cyber bullying.

Other speakers at the event, including a Cloud Infrastructure Engineer, Kafilat Sokunbi, and another expert, Aderonke Adedayo, emphasised the need to optimise technology as a tool for social change and development.

The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abiodun Abdu-Raheem, In his remarks, emphasised that technological knowledge, especially by girls, is crucial to the development of Nigeria and Africa at large.

He decried the high prejudice against women and unequal opportunity to education, saying the State government was keen on ensuring that the voice of the Girl child is not muffled.

Abdu-Raheem added that the State Ministry of Education had, since 2012, included in its curriculum at all levels, digital and technology education.

The federal government is set to implement the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) Project to produce experts in procurement, environmental and social standards in the country.

Six federal universities have been selected to host the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Centres of Excellence (SPESSCEs) for the implementation.

They are the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi; Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria; the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM); the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO); University of Benin (UNIBEN) and University of Lagos (UNILAG).

Project coordinator, SPESSE Project Implementation Unit at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Dr. Joshua Atah said This is the first time this will be happening in higher education in Nigeria.

SPESSE is a multi-sectoral project with support from the World Bank. It will address training, professionalisation and research in procurement, environmental and social standards.

It will be implemented by the National Universities Commission (NUC), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Federal Ministry of Environment and Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

While addressing a stakeholders’ meeting, recently, Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, said he was excited at the potential of SPESSE and the possibilities that it offered both the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy. He stated that the six centres were selected through a very objective, competitive and rigorous selection process, while the project was designed with the full participation of the private sector, including the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, which represented the Industry in the design of the curricula by NUC.

By developing curricula aligned with international standards, setting up the centres of excellence and supplying qualified professionals, SPESSE will improve, significantly, Nigeria’s capacity for procurement, environmental and social standards.

Rasheed commended the vice-chancellors of the selected universities for the key roles they played in developing the winning proposals and urged them to continue to support the centres for the benefit of their universities, the Nigerian University System (NUS) and the country in general.

The project task team leader at the World Bank, Chief Bayo Awosemusi, disclosed that SPESSE, being the first of its kind for both the World Bank and Nigeria, will be the hub for Africa.

He commended Rasheed for his unprecedented commitment to the success of the project.

The Gombe State chapter of the National Youth Service Corps has admonished corps members to shun all forms of social vices.

The Camp Director, Ndako Bida, stated this during the Friday morning meditation with the corps members in the camp.

This was made known in a statement by the chapter, where the Camp Director also addressed the corps members to be of good conduct.

Ndako advised them on the need to be their brothers’ and sisters’ keeper by looking out for one another, calling on them to shun any form of social vices and be of good conduct throughout the service year,” the statement partly reads

During the meeting, Bida also read out some of the suggestions dropped by corps members and tacked the issues raised.

The Camp director, reminded the corps members that the Camp is a temporary facility provided for the purpose of the Orientation Course and the Management through the help of the State Government would keep renovating and improving on the facilities to provide the camp participants with a conducive atmosphere.