No fewer than 80 artisans from the 33 local government areas of Oyo State have benefited from a five-day virtual digital skills training facilitated by Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Stanley Olajide, member representing Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The capacity-building initiative, which forms part of Hon. Olajide’s constituency development project, was aimed at equipping participants with essential digital competencies to enhance productivity and foster inclusion in the fast-paced digital economy.
Modules covered during the training included digital communication and collaboration, content creation, the application of technology for social well-being and environmental sustainability, as well as the use of digital tools for inclusive development.
Speaking during the virtual closing session, Hon. Olajide, a two-term lawmaker, stressed the urgent need for Nigeria to establish special cybercrime courts, digital law clinics, and judicial capacity-building programmes to curb the rising tide of internet-related offences.
He noted that while the digital skills programme seeks to empower young Nigerians to pursue legitimate and productive livelihoods, it also serves as a preventive tool against the lure of cybercrime.
Hon. Olajide criticised the lack of coordination among institutions responsible for combating cybercrime, citing overlapping mandates and inter-agency rivalry among the EFCC, NITDA, ONSA, and the Nigeria Police Force as key challenges.
“Nigeria’s inability to ratify the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, despite being a signatory, continues to weaken our ability to participate in cross-border investigations and intelligence sharing,” he observed.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to promoting legal reforms, institutional synergy, and youth-oriented digital empowerment initiatives to safeguard Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and secure a prosperous digital future for its citizens.
