Governor Alex Otti has delivered a major jobs boost in Abia State, temporarily lifting the civil-service employment ban to recruit 19 outstanding TechRise graduates while empowering 850 youths with laptops and ₦100,000 each.
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has temporarily lifted the state’s civil-service employment ban to facilitate the immediate recruitment of 19 outstanding graduates of the TechRise Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programme.
Otti announced the decision on Friday in Umuahia during the graduation ceremony of the third cohort of TechRise, where 850 young people completed a three-month intensive digital skills programme.
The governor said the decision 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,” Otti said.
He explained that the exemption would accommodate the 19 graduates, after which the broader employment restriction would resume.
According to the governor, retaining the best performers from each TechRise cohort would help the state build a pool of digitally skilled professionals capable of addressing technology and service-delivery gaps within government institutions.
Otti consequently 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 could be filled by qualified TechRise graduates.
He also directed the establishment of a special salary cadre for ICT professionals within the state civil service, subject to applicable conditions.
Beyond the employment opportunity, Otti announced additional support for all 850 graduates of the latest TechRise cohort.
The governor said the 850 laptops used during the training had been transferred to the graduates as their personal property to enable them to continue learning, develop products and pursue professional opportunities.
He also announced a ₦100,000 cash gift for each graduate, amounting to ₦85 million in total, and challenged the beneficiaries to transform their newly acquired skills into businesses, innovations and employment opportunities.
“The most encouraging development from today’s graduation ceremony is the introduction of hundreds of new job-ready professionals into our economy,” the governor said.
Otti disclosed that 2,210 young people have now completed the TechRise ICT skills development programme since its commencement.
He described the latest graduation as another milestone in Abia’s efforts to prepare young people for the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The governor also highlighted the achievements of graduates who developed a functional drone during the training.
He directed the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to work with the team behind the project and explore opportunities to move the innovation from a training concept to commercial viability.
Otti further announced plans to establish international-standard ICT examination and certification centres in Abia.
According to him, the centres will enable residents to obtain professional certifications required for career advancement without having to travel outside the state.
Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, said the government had equipped 2,210 youths through the three cohorts of the fully funded TechRise programme.
He described the beneficiaries as architects of Abia’s digital future.
The TechRise coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of LearnFactory, Chibueze Ukaegbu, disclosed that the programme had also trained 2,500 civil servants in computer skills, with plans to increase the figure to 5,000.
Ukaegbu said plans were also underway to introduce coding programmes for primary and secondary school students across the state.
The TechRise curriculum includes areas such as creative arts, cybersecurity, full-stack development, AI animation, product management, computer design and manufacturing, and enterprise-related digital skills.
The programme is designed to provide young people with practical digital competencies that can translate into employment, entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities.
Otti urged the graduates not to limit themselves to seeking employment but to use their skills to build businesses, develop innovative solutions and create jobs for others.
He also warned the beneficiaries against using their technological knowledge for criminal purposes.
One of the graduates, Victor Onuoha, thanked the state government for investing in their digital education and empowerment, while appealing for the programme to be extended to young people who could not participate in the first three cohorts.
The ceremony also featured the presentation of certificates and recognition of the overall best-performing participants across the programme’s training areas.
With the latest cohort, the TechRise programme has become a major component of Abia State’s youth-development strategy, combining digital skills training with direct pathways into public-sector employment, entrepreneurship and technology-driven innovation.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news stories.
