Anambra to create over 5,000 smart jobs

ANAMBRA State Commissioner for Youth Empowerment and Creative Economy, Afam Mbanefo, has disclosed government’s intention to create over 5000 Information and Communication Technology ( ICT ) jobs for youths in the state to enable them become employers of labour and wealth creators.
The commissioner made the disclosure during an exclusive interview with our correspondent in his office in Awka.
He said Governor  Obiano was futuristic as evidenced in his youth-friendly policies and programmes that were currently yielding dividends, adding that government has initiated a lot of profitable ventures youths could leverage on for self-sustenance and self-reliance.
Mbanefo explained that the state government would partner an ICT firm to organize an online training program where youths would  acquire relevant ICT skills that would launch them into the online market place  and get online jobs relevant to their individual skills in the areas of tourism, hospitality, transportation, utilities and many more job opportunities, stressing that government would fund the beneficiaries at the end of the  training to enable them to start off on a sound footing.
The commissioner also stated that government has ventured into what he called Youth TV; a platform he said was available for youths to go into entertainment business, talent activities, legislative activities and what have you, emphasizing that government was initiating programmes to engage youths meaningfully in the state to dissuade them from amoral tendencies that could plunge them into perpetual self-destruction .
According to him, “These programmes are youths-in- agriculture, one youth-one skill, inventor-investor-initiative and technovation programmes . The governor is also looking at a creative center that will harbour ICT hubs, editing centers, cultural centers, entertainment centers and other facilities. We are also looking at developing a film village and we intend to collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism to achieve that goal.
We are really going deep down into the communities to identify and harness raw talents. Our star search has started in earnest and every other month, Anambra State Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Creative Economy will be running the Anambra Concert where we will be enroll upcoming artistes and give them the stage to showcase their talents . We hope to sustain these activities to bring our youths to the fore . ”
The commissioner said that the mission in creating Smart Jobs was to showcase to Anambra people,  the skills state government was building that can be employed. According to him, government will pay the beneficiaries while on training and also work out multiple strategies of apprenticeship scheme where government could get youths together to learn vocational skills and pay them as well while acquiring the skills.