Nigeria signs MOU with Chinese firm, Huawei, to train 2,000 young Nigerians on ICT

Nigeria signs MOU with Chinese firm, Huawei, to train 2,000 young Nigerians on Information and Communication Technology

By Talatu Usman
Premium Times

The federal government of Nigeria on 10 December 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with leading Chinese technology firm, Huawei, to train 2000 young Nigerians on Information and Communication Technology, ICT.

The MOU provides 2,000 Information and Communication Technology, ICT trainee jobs to young Nigerians next year under the “Huawei’s Seeds for the Future program.”

“ICT is one of the quickest ways people can get decent jobs, so we think this is absolutely important.

“In the change agenda, how to grow the economy is important, and we want to create ICT hubs and support existing ones. We thank Huawei for this initiative of advancing technology in Nigeria, apart from the job creation itself,” said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Observing the current poor rating of Nigeria in the global rankings of business environments, the Mr. Osinbajo said that the president had already given the task of addressing the challenges of doing business in the country to the minister of Trade, Industry & Investment Minister.

The Vice President said the relationship between Nigeria and China was a strategic one, urging Chinese investors and business leaders to consider Nigeria for manufacturing plants.

He said the Chinese investors “should encourage not just the selling, but also the manufacturing of products in Nigeria.”
According to the Chinese envoy, China is in partnership with the Buhari administration in the “change” agenda, listing the nation’s plans to be involved in such areas like agricultural modernization, industrialization, infrastructure, trade and investment, poverty alleviation, and peace, security, among others.

He added that Huawei hoped to become a strategic partner to the Nigerian government in the future ICT planning and development, and would continue to expand its contributions and training programs in Nigeria.

The ICT training initiative strives to create a platform to nurture work-ready ICT experts by providing ICT industry-relevant education.

Mr. Osinbajo was joined by the Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and his Communications counterpart, Adebayo Shittu, at the ceremony attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Gu Xiaojie.

Nigeria’s ministers for Labour and Communications, whose ministries would select the 2000 trainees, signed the MOU on behalf of the federal government, while Mr. Richard Cao, the Vice President of Huawei West Africa, signed for the Chinese Information Communication and Technology firm.

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Huawei is a global leader of ICT solutions. Continuously innovating based on customer needs, Huawei is committed to enhancing customer experiences and creating maximum value for telecom carriers, enterprises, and consumers. Our telecom network equipment, IT products and solutions, and smart devices are used in 170 countries and regions. Huawei ranked 228th on the Global Fortune 500 based on its revenue in 2014. In 2014, the company’s revenue reached approximately USD 46.5 billion.

Huawei invest over 10% of our annual sales revenue into R&D and more than 45% of our 170,000 employees engage in R&D. Leveraging our experience and expertise in the ICT sector, Huawei helps bridge the digital divide and promote high-quality broadband connectivity for all. As an advocate of socioeconomic sustainability, Huawei makes every effort to support secure and stable network operations, and help customers and industries improve efficiency to drive low-carbon economic growth. By localizing our operations and building a global value chain, Huawei helps local innovators maximize their global value and share win-win outcomes.