Governor Alex Otti of Abia has lifted the ban on civil service recruitment, hence immediately employing 19 outstanding graduates of the state’s TechRise Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programme. Otti announced the decision on Friday in Umuahia, at the graduation ceremony of the third cohort of the programme, where 850 youths completed three months of intensive ICT training.
He said that the recruitment was part of his administration’s strategy to retain the best talents produced by the programme, and deploy their expertise to improve public service delivery. “I’m hereby lifting the ban on civil service employment and directing the Head of Service to immediately and automatically recruit the 19 of you. So by the time that is done, the ban would now continue.”
Otti directed the Head of Service to work with the Chief Information Officer and other relevant officials to identify ICT competency gaps across ministries, departments and agencies that qualified TechRise graduates could fill. He also directed the establishment of a special salary cadre for ICT professionals in the civil service, subject to applicable conditions.
The governor also announced a cash gift of ₦100,000 for each of the 850 graduates, urging them to use their skills to create businesses, innovations and employment opportunities. He said 2,210 people have completed the TechRise ICT skills development programme since its commencement. For the 19 graduates who have been hired, the opportunity is life-changing. For the 850 graduates who have received training and ₦100,000, the future is brighter.
This echoes the 2020 tech training programmes in other states, which also sought to build digital skills. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a focus on leveraging technology for economic development.
The winners: the 19 TechRise graduates hired into the civil service; the 850 graduates who received training and cash support; and the Abia State Government, which is investing in digital skills. The losers: those who were not selected, and the Nigerian government, which must learn from Abia’s example.
Bottom Line: Abia is hiring tech graduates and investing in digital skills. The future is digital. The question is whether other states will follow Abia’s example.