In a collaborative effort to groom a skilled generation and produce techpreneurs in Edo State, the Edo State government has partnered with MainOne, West Africa’s leading connectivity and data centre solutions provider, to train 100 youths in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
The training which is to be implemented through Coven Works— (an American company) and a leading firm in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Education — is set to begin on Monday, August 5, 2019 through to August 30, 2019, in a four week intensive training boot-camp at Edo Innovation Hub, 59 ICE road, off Wire road, Benin City, Edo State.
Coven Works through its training arm – Coven Labs has trained more than 350 youths in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in Edo State and over 950 people across Nigeria with the goal of bridging the technological skill gap amongst African youths especially Nigerians.
The training which is a build-up on the efforts of the Edo State government to create more jobs in the state and increase the state of Job-readiness in the state took a new dive as MainOne came onboard as a partner sponsor to drive a common vision of providing in-demand skills to selected youths in the community.
Feedback from the previous cohorts has been heartwarming and positive. One of the trainees from the last cohort reiterated how he had acquired skills that has made him an employable person, others talk about their new remote jobs with firms outside the country. And so the list goes on and on.
The Coven Works team are excited about this cohort as it sits to train a 100 at a stretch over the course of four weeks. Having taken into consideration all the previous cohorts, this one is bound to surpass its previous success records.
According to the Director of Programs at Coven Works, Dunsin Fatuase, “The training program which focuses on turning out talents in data science and Artificial intelligence in itself is focused on the application of these skills in tackling societal and industry problems.”
“We believe it is a full package—using one stone to kill as many birds possible” – he continued. The training boot-camp also aligns with the vision of the Edo state government to create a sustainable ecosystem for the development of technology and innovation which in turn would foster job creation and reduce the rate of unemployment amongst the youths.
MainOne recently launched its services in Edo State, with fiber infrastructure beneficial to improving the quality of access and accelerating digital transformation by providing connectivity for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), public locations including schools and hospitals and the Innovation Hub. We believe this infrastructure will create a better internet experience for Junior Data & AI Engineers in their learning and remote working.
The Head, Edo Jobs, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare believes that in a world that is dynamically transforming due to the evolution of science and technology, a tech-based skillset is all the more essential.
In the words of Olusola Amusan, Founder and CEO at Coven Works, “There is so much more to do, so let’s do more”. Coven Works is a pioneer of the vision to transform the African space through Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Technology.
While talking about the investment of MainOne in the state, the CEO, Ms. Funke Opeke, said “We applaud the State’s drive towards developing a digital ecosystem that empowers the next generation of youths with the right tools to become and remain an asset to the world. It is for that reason, we are happy to partner with the State Government and Coven Works to contribute to the development of our youths and the Nigerian tech ecosystem.”