Technology experts and young entrepreneurs in Kano have identified digital literacy as a vital catalyst for combating youth unemployment and boosting economic growth.
Speaking with reporters in Kano on Wednesday, the stakeholders emphasised that equipping youths with modern tech capabilities offered a sustainable pathway out of unemployment.
A tech hub director, Kabir Bello, said traditional job markets were saturated, making digital entrepreneurship an essential alternative for the teeming youth population.
“The global economy runs on technology and Kano youths must leverage software development, digital marketing and data analytics to compete favourably,” Bello said.
Another technology expert, Hauwa Danbatta, said remote work opportunities enabled young people in northern Nigeria to earn foreign income.
“With stable internet and targeted training, our youths can provide digital services globally without necessarily migrating out of the state,” Danbatta told reporters.
A young tech entrepreneur, Mustapha Garba, said acquiring coding and graphic design skills transformed his financial status and allowed him to become an employer of labour.
“Tech training opened doors I never imagined; today, I run a startup that mentors and employs fellow youths in Kano,” Garba recounted.
The entrepreneurs collectively called on the government and the private sector to scale up investments in digital infrastructure and free coding bootcamps across the metropolis.
They maintained that structured empowerment programmes would bridge the skills gap and harness the creative potential of the younger generation.
