President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday commissioned the Northwest Digital Industrial Park in Kano which was vandalised during the End-Bad-Governance protest in 2024.
President Tinubu was represented at the commissioning ceremony by the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosum Tijjani in Kano on Wednesday.
The Minister in his address expressed the need for the youth in the state and the country at large to use these opportunities to tap from the various opportunities across the globe.
“This landmark project provided by His Excellency President Bola Tinubu under his Renewed Hope Agenda can serve as a difference between poverty and success in the life of youths who properly utilize the opportunity,” he stated.
The Minister lamented over the vandalization of the Digital Industrial Park during the August 1st protests after all that had been put in place awaiting the commissioning.
He, however, expressed the commitment of the federal government to the project and ensuring it is put in place because there are many people to benefit from it in Kano alone, which is 180,000 people, equivalent to 10 percent of the total applicants from all over Nigeria.
“A week before the date of the commissioning, the unfortunate protest happened, and this edifice was completely destroyed.
“You can imagine how painful that experience was for me seeing this building completed in January, the excitement I had, hoping that this center would be a center where many young people would get breakthroughs in life, only to realize in the news that it was totally destroyed.”
He described it as painful seeing that the destruction of the place was perpetrated by young people but however did not allow the agony and the anger of the destruction to deter him.
“I immediately looked around and reached out to companies because I didn’t want bureaucracy to keep this location from being commissioned again,” he added.
He further spoke on the mission of the program explaining that it is meant to create three million technical talents among Nigerians on digital skills so that they can have access to the world and develop.
On the growing population of youths in Kano in particular, he stated that young persons aged between 20 and 25 years make 65 percent of the total population of the state and they need access to the global opportunities.
He urged the young people, parents, guardians and others to protect the digital industry center and liken it to an edifice which goods can be reaped from it in the future.
“You live at a time when the world is connected, knowledge is available to you wherever you find yourself for as long as you have opportunity and access to the center. I have seen many young people in my life that have moved from nothing to become something with such opportunity,” he said.
In his remarks, Kano state Governor, Abba Yusuf, represented by his deputy Abdussalam Gwarzo, declared that the state would ensure that 300,000 youths are trained in digital skills by the year 2027.
He said the state had since engaged in digitalization through the training of 5,000 government workers in digital skills.
The governor praised the Minister for his dedication to ensuring that the center is in Kano while promising that the state government will give maximum contribution to its success.
The Minister was given the traditional title of “Sarkin Yakin Digitalization of Kano” and was presented with the traditional sword and hat.
Earlier in his address, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida explained that the digital industrialization park is in line with the national digital economy and strategy.
“We are confident that this digital park will serve as fuel to serve the industrial people of Kano state especially the youths and support their pursuit of digital talent and development,” he added.
