Digital Livelihood and Digital Creativity Beneficiaries Trained on Entrepreneurship, Business Support Sources

By

Sagiru Ado Abubakar

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) under Digital Livelihood and Digital creativity and Innovation Programs has trained young women and girls to acquire information communication technology (ICT) knowledge. The goal of these programs was to contribute to reducing the gender digital divide and unemployment through technology skill transfer that will enable young women and girls to acquire ICT-based entrepreneurship skill and set up small scale ICT-based businesses. To achieve aforementioned goal, on 11^th and 12^th December, 2022, the Job Placement Information Service (JOPIS) unit of the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has organized sensitization workshops for the beneficiaries of digital livelihood and digital creativity innovation programs in both Kano and Bauchi (jJama’are and Itas) training centers on how to secure jobs and source entrepreneurship and business support.  

The workshops introduced the participants to sites that they can visit to secure soft loans and grants from government initiatives, Bank of Industries (BOI), Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and foundations so that they can be self-reliant and even employ others as an entrepreneur cannot work alone. 

At the start of the workshop, a call of volunteers from Save the Children was shared and helped the participants to apply. The job opportunity is looking for applicants with ICT-Based skills similar with that of digital livelihood and digital creativity beneficiaries to actively involved in the implementation of the PLANE project. The opportunity paid attention to female candidates, marginalized groups and those with disabilities

Other opportunities introduced to the participants included Women Startup Challenge, Tech Startup Grant, 2023 ‘Open Minds – Young Voices’ Youth Activists Program, the 3rd Cohort for iHatch free intensive incubation program and the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). 

Job Placement Information Services (JOPIS) is a scheme by CITAD to assist youth looking for employment and entrepreneurship opportunities by bringing information about job opportunities to them. Functions of JOPIS Unit are getting job opportunities on newspapers from Libraries, collaborating with reliable sites advertising job opportunities and creating library and reference on the job opportunities so as easily refer to it when the need arises.

Job Placement Officer will be responsibility for providing advice, council and information to prospective applicants. All job vacancies, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities are posting time to time on CITAD facebook groups “friends of CITAD”, “CITAD ALMUNI”, “Peace now” and pages