Diamond Bank Empowers Nigerian Youths with World-Class ICT Skills

Alex Otti, GMD/CEO Diamond Bank

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Diamond Bank Plc is empowering 100 Nigerian youths in selected tertiary institutions, with top-of-the-range Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Entrepreneurial Skills. At the completion of the three months training programme, the trainees would have learnt and internalised world-class ICT knowledge and skills that would help them face the future with predictable successful outcome.

Ayona Trimnell, Head, Corporate Communications of the Bank, stated that this year’s ICT capacity building programme is scheduled to hold in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria from October to December 2014, noting that preparing and fortifying the youths for the future with the requisite up-to-date ICT knowledge and skills, is one of the surest ways to guarantee certainty, and bring Nigerian youths to play and compete at the global stage.

According to her, “Our activity in this area focuses on training and equipping students of tertiary institutions in the states across the country with (ICT) and Entrepreneurial Skills. The training will not only provide the youths with practical skills that makes them employable but will also serve as a source of livelihood through ICT skills development”.

Trimnell stated further that Diamond Bank is particularly interested in young people because they hold the key for providing superior value and technology-based innovation for the future; and represent the strategic vision of the Bank’s operations; therefore are a core of its strategic focus.
It could be recalled that the first edition of the ICT capacity training programme held in October 2013 with 100 students from two tertiary institutions in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State benefitting from the training scheme.

The initiative is being implemented in partnership with Paradigm Initiative of Nigeria (PIN), a social enterprise organisation that connects underserved Nigerian youths with ICT opportunities. The capacity training initiative will highlight the ill effects of unemployment and cybercrime among other vices that limit the potential contribution of young Nigerians to the nation’s economy. On behalf of the Bank, PIN provides trainees with continued post-program mentorship and support for a period of six months after graduation.