By PETER OKOLIE

Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, on Saturday, launched the MyImo App, designed to enable the citizens of the state to regularly interact with the State Government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event also marked the official graduation of additional 10,000 youths under the SkillUp Imo Project COHORT 3.

In a speech at the event held at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Center, Owerri, Uzodimma said the programme was part of his administration’s dream to Reconstruct, Rehabilitate and Recover the state.

He said to equip youths with tools, knowledge and access to compete and thrive in a fast-changing world, his administration established the Ministry of Digital Economy and E-Government.

“We realized that the real economy in the world is the digital economy; therefore, efforts were made for Imo to key into the global economy.

“Today, we are very proud to have, in addition to the 40,000 young minds already in active businesses, another 10,000 more young Imo citizens and 320 civil servants of the director’s cadre in the state civil service digitally trained,” he said.

The governor commended President Bola Tinubu for the “bold reforms engineered in the national economy that have increased revenues for the sub-national governments for people like us to execute projects, such as SkillUp Imo.”

He said: “We are not casually training people but laying practical, durable, and forward-facing foundations for our people.

“We are building out the Imo Digital City, which will host Nigeria’s first state-level Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute, a Robotics and Business Process Outsourcing hub, Innovation Labs, Digital Learning Centres, and a Digital Entrepreneurship Centre.

“These are physical assets under development, designed to serve real needs and unlock real value.

“Our goal is to build an Imo, where broadband is as critical as the road network, and where the same ambition that drives our infrastructure renewal also shapes how we prepare our people.

“MyImo App, which we unveiled today, is a direct outcome of that vision.”

Uzodimma said the App was built entirely by graduates of the SkillUp Imo, adding that it puts access, service, and accountability in one place.

He urged the beneficiaries to use the knowledge acquired not only to create work for themselves, but also become creators of work for others.

“Be solution-minded. Build with purpose.

“Think of your local government area, your community, your state, and ask: how can technology make things better?” he said.

He assured them that his administration remained firmly committed to supporting their growth through access, mentorship, finance, and infrastructure.

In a remark, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described Uzodimma’s investment in digital economy as “a right step and a renewal of hope for youths”.

“Talents and skills are the oil field of the future.

“Skills are the capital required for any economy to thrive,” Yilwatda said.

He congratulated the beneficiaries and advised them to develop their skills into talents, while participating in the global economy.

Also speaking, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, commended the visionary leadership of Uzodimma towards empowering young Imo citizens.

Alausa commended the foresight and commitment of Uzodimma in “empowering young Nigerians through relevant and transformative digital skills,” while congratulating the graduates.

“This visionary initiative aligns perfectly with the ministry’s renewed focus on technical and vocational education, and training as a catalyst for job creation, innovation and national development,” he said.

He affirmed the ministry’s “unwavering support” to states “in advancing skills development and digital literacy for the prosperity of youths and the country”.

In a goodwill message, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh, said the programme aligned with Tinubu’s Agenda Seven, which focuses on economic diversification through industry, manufacturing and digitalization.

Enoh expressed the confidence that such digital skill programme would assist the nation’s growing population of youths to meet global demands.

The Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, described the SkillUp initiative as a “celebration of progress, innovation and empowerment.”

Uzoka-Anite said that the Federal Government remained committed to empowering young Nigerians through skills acquisition, innovation and digital entrepreneurship under the Renewed Hope Initiative.

She said that her ministry was exploring strategic frameworks to support programmes, including the SkillUp Imo, through access to funding and digital entrepreneurship grants.

She added that the ministry would support public private partnership for tech startups and SMEs, financial literacy and inclusion programmes tailored to empower graduates, among others.

She called for collaboration between states and the Federal Government to ensure the realization of Tinubu’s initiatives.

Earlier, the state Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-Government, Dr. Chimezie Amadi, said that the SkillUp Imo programme had previously trained and empowered more than 40,000 Imo citizens.

Amadi said the 50,000 youths, including the 10,000 fresh graduates, were trained in emerging and in-demand fields of software engineering, AI, block chain, cyber security, fintech and digital marketing.

“The youths, who started with curiosity, are today trained as coders, data analysts, graphic designers, digital entrepreneurs, innovators, ready to compete and collaborate in the global digital market place,” he said.

He described the event as a celebration of “hope, hard work, and a digital transformation of Imo”.

The commissioner also described Uzodimma’s vision as a “demonstration of leadership with foresight”.

He lauded the governor’s support to the project, saying it had become a national model for youth empowerment.

A civil servant, Mr. Anthony Arokanti, who participated in the training, expressed joy, saying, “I am now a digital civil servant”.

Arokanti said the digital skill acquired would help accelerate work from paper to digital transmission.

NAN reports that laptops and other digital equipment were later distributed to the beneficiaries. (NAN)