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Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has lifted the ban on civil service recruitment to approve the immediate employment of 19 outstanding graduates of the state's TechRise Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programme.
Otti announced the decision at the graduation ceremony of the third cohort of the TechRise initiative in Umuahia, where 850 youths completed a three-month intensive ICT training.
The governor said the recruitment was aimed at retaining the programme's best talents and deploying their expertise to strengthen public service delivery across the state.
He directed the Head of Service to process the employment of the 19 graduates immediately, adding that the recruitment window would close after their appointments.
Otti also instructed the Head of Service, the Chief Information Officer and other relevant officials to identify ICT skills gaps in ministries, departments and agencies for possible engagement of qualified TechRise graduates.
To encourage technology professionals in government service, the governor approved the creation of a special salary structure for ICT personnel, subject to applicable conditions.
He further announced that the 850 laptops used by participants during the training had been handed over to them as personal property to support their careers and continuous learning.
In addition, Otti presented each of the 850 graduates with a cash gift of ₦100,000 and urged them to leverage their newly acquired skills to establish businesses, develop innovative solutions and create employment opportunities.
The governor disclosed that 2,210 youths had benefited from the TechRise programme since its inception, describing the initiative as part of his administration's efforts to prepare young people for opportunities in the digital economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He, however, cautioned the graduates against using their ICT knowledge for cybercrime and other unlawful activities.
Otti also commended a team of graduates that developed a functional drone and directed the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to work with them to commercialise the innovation.
He revealed plans to establish international-standard ICT examination and certification centres in Abia to enable residents obtain globally recognised professional certifications without travelling outside the state.
Earlier, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, said the fully funded TechRise programme had trained 2,210 youths in three batches, while the programme coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of LearnFactory, Chibueze Ukaegbu, disclosed that 2,500 civil servants had also received digital skills training, with a target of 5,000 beneficiaries.
The ceremony ended with the presentation of certificates and awards to outstanding participants across the seven courses offered under the TechRise programme.
