The graduation ceremony, held at the Al-Waalidayn Charitable Foundation Headquarters in Pantami, marked the successful completion of a batch of training designed to equip young Nigerians with high-demand technical skills.

The initiative, fully sponsored by Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, CON, aims to create a generation of job creators rather than job seekers. All 250 graduates, selected on merit from across the state’s eleven local government areas, were not only awarded certificates but also received start-up tools to immediately launch their own workshops.

A statement by Professor Suleiman Mohammed of the Foundation said the training curriculum was comprehensive, covering practical smartphone repair, alongside cutting-edge modules in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. The programme also included mentorship sessions focused on developing an entrepreneurial mindset and the confidence to establish sustainable businesses.

During the ceremony, elated participants expressed their gratitude. They thanked Professor Pantami for the transformative initiative and prayed for Allah to reward him abundantly.

The event was graced by a host of dignitaries, underscoring the initiative’s community importance. The District Head of Pantami commended Professor Pantami, whom he referred to by his traditional title of Waziri Pantami, stating the district was proud to have a son of his calibre.

Other notable attendees included the Sarkin Malaman Gombe, Alhaji Ahmad Walama; the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Professor Yusuf Abdullahi; as well as a cross-section of community leaders, politicians, academics, and religious figures.

According to a statement released by Professor Suleiman Mohammed on behalf of the PIP Foundation, this programme is an ongoing national effort. The training will continue in batches across several Nigerian states, with Bauchi State likely to be the next beneficiary.

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If you want to build a great nation, your surest bet is education. Quality, skill-based education has consistently proven to be the major difference between developed nations and those wallowing in all-round deformities. Countries like China, Singapore, and Taiwan have clearly demystified this undeniable fact. When a nation prioritises the skills of its populace, the inevitable outcome is holistic development.

In Japan, secondary school students are enrolled in two-year vocational and technical colleges to acquire skills in high-demand areas before proceeding to the university. Even if they do not advance to higher education, they already possess valuable training in diverse areas such as technology, digital skills, graphic design, artificial intelligence, animation, robotics, and multimedia. This explains why Japan remains a global model of technological advancement today.

In his book, Skills Rather than Just Degrees, Professor Isa Ali Pantami emphasises that, in addition to academic qualifications, one must acquire modern-day twenty-first-century skills in line with the prevailing Fourth Industrial Revolution which is reshaping the world in almost every sphere. He also points to countries like Switzerland and India, which have prioritised skills and are achieving remarkable success.

Through the Professor Pantami Foundation, some carefully selected youths have, in recent weeks, been drawn from the nooks and crannies of Gombe to benefit from an ongoing digital skills training programme manned by some top Arewa tech experts like Salisu Abdurrazak Saheel and Yahaya Abubakar. The training incorporates areas such as artificial intelligence, phone repairs, and cybersecurity, among others. The central aim is to equip young people with skills that are in demand, making them self-reliant, employable, and even potential employers of labour. From a pool of more than 30,000 applicants across Gombe and neighbouring states, the first batch has already been selected.

Anyone who interacts with Prof. Pantami will attest to his passion for youth empowerment and digital skills. He strongly believes that Nigeria possesses the inimitable potential to produce a highly skilled youthful population capable of serving our domestic needs and even exporting talent abroad, provided this potential is fully harnessed.

Pantami frequently references the Indian Institute of Technology which produces millions of skilled professionals across different fields—especially IT-related areas—that are now occupying strategic positions in leading companies across Europe and America. Today, Indians dominate many top positions in the global tech industry. Years ago, India deliberately charted a new course by using ICT to drastically reduce unemployment. That strategic shift now injects millions of jobs annually into the Indian labour force.

Last week, I visited the venue of the training and witnessed passionate youths in their hundreds, deeply engaged with their devices and attentively following their instructors. One unforgettable moment was meeting one of my Facebook friends who had travelled all the way from Nafada—over 100 kilometres from the capital. He greeted me with an innocent, yet enthusiastic voice, and introduced himself. He was just one of the many lucky youths who earned the opportunity ahead of thousands of others, and there were several more like him from across Gombe State.

The purpose of the training is not only to enhance skills and create jobs but also to ensure these skills are multiplied across communities. Unlike Rarara’s one-to-tell-ten political praise song, this initiative is about one teaching three, three teaching three or four, and four teaching others. In this way, the ripple effect of the jobs created—both direct and indirect—will spread to the very nooks and crannies of the state.

For instance, if out of the first batch of two hundred and fifty selected beneficiaries, fifty establish their own workshops and each trains three others, that will create one hundred and fifty new jobs. If those one hundred and fifty also go on to train three people each, the number rises to four hundred and fifty. These figures, though hypothetical, demonstrate the multiplier effect of skills development on job creation and economic growth.

Muhd El-Bonga Ibraheem writes from Federal University Kashere, Gombe State
miabba40@gmail.com

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‎By Zekeri Idakwo Laruba

‎In today’s hyper-connected world, digital presence is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity. For any region hoping to attract serious investment, visibility in the digital space is just as important as the assets it offers.

‎Gombe State, located in Nigeria’s northeast and blessed with a wealth of human and natural resources, is not held back by potential. What it lacks is the digital visibility to match its promise.

‎The new era of digital technology offers a fresh and compelling opportunity to change this story and present Gombe as a rising destination for smart and sustainable investment.

‎The backbone of Gombe’s economy lies in agriculture, solid minerals, tourism, and a vibrant youthful population. Its rich soil supports the cultivation of crops such as maize, rice, and sorghum.

‎Beneath the ground, the state holds valuable mineral deposits including gypsum, limestone, coal, and kaolin. Nature has also gifted Gombe with stunning landscapes like the Tula Highlands and Kalshingi Game Reserve, which remain largely untapped for eco-tourism.

‎Above all, Gombe’s most valuable asset may well be its people—a young and energetic population brimming with potential to drive innovation and build new industries. But despite these strengths, Gombe remains off the radar when it comes to global investment attention.

‎This is where the internet can become a game-changer. With intentional digital strategies and platforms, the state can begin to narrate its story in ways that attract both local and international investors.

‎One of the most important steps is building a digital presence that is not only functional but also engaging. A modern and interactive website for the Gombe Investment Promotion Agency must go beyond the basics.

‎It should be a digital gateway that welcomes investors with tools such as virtual tours, interactive maps, downloadable pitch decks, and sector-specific investment guides.

‎In a world where investors often make their first impressions online, the face Gombe presents digitally must be bold, clear, and inspiring. Digital advertising can significantly amplify these efforts.

‎With platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, Google Ads, and Instagram, Gombe has the power to deliver tailored messages directly to targeted investor groups around the world.

‎Short videos, promotional clips, and sponsored content showcasing the state’s reforms and success stories can capture the interest of serious stakeholders. Equally important is the engagement of the Nigerian diaspora and business influencers.

‎Across the globe are successful Nigerians eager to reconnect with and invest in their home country. Through well-structured outreach efforts such as webinars, social media campaigns, and ambassador programs, Gombe can convert this interest into meaningful investments.

‎Storytelling remains an essential ingredient. By collaborating with respected media platforms like PRNigeria, Gombe can craft compelling stories about infrastructure upgrades, business-friendly policies, and the quiet rise of local champions. ‎

‎A dedicated blog that regularly shares investor insights, policy updates, and entrepreneurial achievements can become a reliable source of inspiration and information for the wider investment community.

‎The investment prospects are clear and compelling. Agro-processing zones, renewable energy solutions, eco-tourism infrastructure, digital and ICT hubs, and industrial ventures rooted in mining are all within reach.

‎These are not abstract dreams. They are real opportunities waiting for the right people to see and seize them. With a deliberate and digitally intelligent push for visibility, Gombe can shift its position from being overlooked to becoming a destination of choice for forward-thinking investors.

‎The vision is within grasp. The resources are already in place. The time to act is now.

‎

‎Zekeri Idakwo Laruba is the Assistant Editor with PRNigeria and Economic confidential. He can be reached via idakwozekeri93@gmail.com

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NITDA Embarks on Grassroots Engagement in Eight States   

TECHDIGEST – In its aspiration to be closer to its stakeholders, the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), organized a one-day Stakeholders’ Engagement Programme on Tuesday in Gombe, to cascade its programs, projects, and policies to the grassroots people.

The Stakeholders Engagement Programme slated to hold in eight different states across the country, commenced in Gombe with the theme “Creating Opportunities, Breaking Boundaries: Towards Digitalisation and Entrepreneurial Evolution.”

Speaking virtually during the first edition of the program, the NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, represented by the Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solutions, Dr. Usman Abdullahi, disclosed that the Agency holds its stakeholders in high esteem and would ensure they derive value from all NITDA’s interventions.

The other States where the program would be taken place includes Bauchi, Kano. Kaduna Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, and Bayelsa.

Inuwa said, “Stakeholders’ Engagement Program is aimed at delivering values to our stakeholders and this is in tandem with our core values of people first, innovative and professionalism.”

“That would not be possible without listening to you and speaking with you to get clarity on your perspective, aspirations, and needs,” he disclosed.

Inuwa noted that the meeting would serve as a veritable platform to pool knowledge, experiences, and expertise and to create solutions, articulate strategies, and extend the Agency’s services to all its stakeholders.

He maintained that the objectives of the program are; to offer stakeholders the opportunity to express their views and opinions on matters related to the Agency’s implementation of its mandate, establish a sustainable collaboration and consistent channel for feedback and exchange of ideas, and also share with the stakeholders the Agency’s vision, the regulatory instrument for national development and the Agency’s journey so far.

The NITDA DG assured the participants that the Agency is not oblivious of the fact that more still needs to be done and pledged the commitment of the Agency to make further progress with the stakeholders in the coming years.

The Gombe State Commissioner of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Aisha Umar Maigari in her goodwill remarks commended NITDA for the roles it is playing in ensuring that policies are also domesticated in states which she described as a better way to ensure uniformity in developing the ICT sector in the country.

She stated that the Stakeholders’ Engagement Program is coming at the right time when the state needs more collaboration from NITDA.

She said NITDA has helped them develop a very ambitious state ICT policy and the state has since commenced implementation of some of the initiatives in the document after it has carried out need assessment analysis.

She added that the present administration has ensured that civil servants in the state are using dot ng for government businesses, adding that the state is building the capacity of the staff also in the area of basic computer operation for its staff and promoting digital literacy in the state especially among the underserved and unserved indigene of the state.

The Commissioner also disclosed that most of the government processes have been digitized, especially, in the area of internally generated revenue to the government.

Also commenting on the programme, Mallam Zakari Suleiman of the Computer Professional Council of Nigeria, CPCN, urged NITDA to constitute a monitoring team that would be inspecting all its interventions with a view of ascertaining their proper usage.

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