When it comes to the digital future of Imo State, Nigeria, there’s exciting news to share. Led by His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodinma, the Imo State Government has taken another giant step towards cementing a relationship with a signed Memorandum of Understanding with the European Digital SME Alliance.
The agreement will mean so much in changing the digital solutions and skills of Imo State, which aligns so well with the governor’s vision of a thriving digital economy in the State. Digital economy is one thing the governor, Uzodinma, is not just talking about but doing everything possible to ensure that Imo State is at the forefront.
What Is This Agreement All About?
The MoU focuses on the most important actions for digital growth: knowledge sharing and digital skills development. It includes specific plans for mentoring programs and digital skills training, which are very salient components in building a strong digital economy.
If you have been following the progress in Imo State, you would already know about the 3MTT program—a digital skills empowerment initiative sweeping across the state and the Federation in general. With the new MoU in place, this program, especially the Skill-Up Imo initiative, can benefit even more and bring greater opportunities to participants.
The agreement is the successive milestone for DIGITAL SME in its continuous activities to empower small and medium-scale enterprises to become the leading force behind digital transformation in Imo State, with the possibility of expanding over to the whole of Nigeria and beyond. DIGITAL SME represents man-centeredness in technology; the partnership reiterates commitment to setting global standards while focusing on what is best for people.
The MoU also points to the much broader Africa-EU Partnership, whose similar goal is the improvement of digital competencies by means of international cooperation. By working together, DIGITAL SME and the Imo State Government are set to create synergies between their digital ecosystems.
DIGITAL SME’s president, Dr. Oliver Grün, stated that the partnership with Imo State will offer more opportunities for European digital SMEs to enter the Nigerian market.
This partnership with the Imo State Government, Nigeria will open up more opportunities for European digital SMEs, who will be able to benefit from insights into tech market dynamics in West Africa and access to local talent. Cooperation between SMEs from like-minded regions is essential for building an inclusive and innovative digital economy that benefits everyone, and this is just the beginning of our worldwide collaboration efforts. —
DIGITAL SME President Dr Oliver Grün.
This collaboration will focus on three main areas: a freelancing program, a mentorship program, and digital skills training.
1. The Freelancing Programme
The Freelancing Programme is a game-changer for digital professionals in Imo State. It willallow European companies to tap into the growing talent pool in Imo while providing localprofessionals with incredible opportunities for career growth and development. But what doesthis mean for the people of Imo State?
Let’s break it down. The ongoing Skill-Up Imo program, now in its third cohort, is all aboutequipping the youth with the digital skills that are in high demand. The goal is clear: to makeImo State a major hub for tech development, attract investors and companies, and, most importantly, create jobs. Through this program, youths in Imo State are being trained to workremotely as freelancers or even get employed by companies that recognize their technological potential.
One of the standout features of this initiative is Techosphere—a platform developed by theSkill-Up Imo program. Techosphere is designed to connect students with job opportunities online, allowing them to earn a living by applying their skills. Now, with the European DigitalSME Alliance MoU in place, this platform is set to become even more valuable.
The European Digital SME Alliance plans to leverage Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) to employ tech professionals from Imo State locally and internationally. This means that skilled individuals from Imo could soon find themselves working in European countries, applying their talents in global markets. It’s a dream come true for many, and it’s not just talk. Governor Hope Uzodinma has been vocal about this vision for some time, telling the people of Imo that techies from the state would soon have opportunities to work abroad. With this agreement, those wordsare turning into reality, showing just how committed the governor is to the progress of Imo State.
The Honorable Commissioner for Digital Economy & e-Government Imo State, Dr Chimezie Amadi, has also stated that “This collaborative partnership with the European Digital SME Alliance will foster innovation and entrepreneurship while creating new market opportunitiesfor Startups and innovators in Imo.” Aside from job creation, the MoU aims to elevate the socio-economic conditions of communitiesin Imo State. A strong focus is also placed on gender inclusivity. The programme will, therefore,work towards opening up such opportunities to women and ensuring that the local femaleworkforce can revel in the opportunities made available by the digital economy.
2. The Mentoring Programme
The Mentoring Programme is designed to be a bridge between European businesses and theyoung, aspiring professionals of Imo State. This initiative will connect local youth withexperienced mentors from Europe, giving them valuable insights into digital careers and theknowledge they need to thrive in both national and international markets.
What does this mean for the Imo State Youths?
This means that they will learn from tutors whohave actual experience in the digital international scene. Mentors will guide them on how to navigate challenges that present themselves in any career in the digital space, right from thelatest happenings in the industry to how one can acquire the skills they need to compete globally.
It is not going to be a win-win situation just for the youth to learn; European businesses involved are also going to make a lot of gains. Through close dealings and interaction with young professionals in Imo State, these companies will further understand the challenges andopportunities that exist in emerging markets like Africa and Nigeria. This knowledge will become very useful for any business intending to expand internationally by adjusting itsstrategies to make it in such regions.
It is a win-win situation for both parties: the young ones in Imo State get to learn from the bestand prepare for successful careers in the digital world, and European businesses will gain someuseful insight into how to tap into new and growing markets.
3. Digital Skills Training
Digital literacy is fast becoming the passport to a better quality of life, more especially in anenvironment like Imo State. This digital literacy training helps equip young people with relevantskills to connect them to the global economy and to see new job opportunities that were hitherto beyond their reach.
How does this work?
The European Digital SME Alliance brings to the table years of experiencein upskilling and reskilling young people with interests in seeking employment in the digitalsector. By sharing best practices and state-of-the-art knowledge, they can help create a robustsystem of training at Imo State. This will involve adopting the “train the trainer” approach,whereby local experts are trained to pass the skills down to others to guarantee sustainability.The long-term vision is to have a Digital Skills Training Hub in Imo State, a centre where youthscan learn new relevant skills for survival in a digitally driven world.This course of action will have the Imo State Government playing a very vital role. They willthen replicate this knowledge acquired from these exchanges by ensuring local training, and thismeans directly reaching young men and women of this state. In other words, more of them willhave the skills to change their lives and the state’s economic trajectory.But that’s not all. The cooperation will also extend to DIGITAL SMEs working with the ImoState Government to enhance each other’s capacities in research and innovation. They willexplore new opportunities for collaboration through involvement in international cooperationprojects, specifically in areas identified under the Africa-EU Partnership, with a strong focus ondigital transformation.Ending NoteThe MoU the European Digital SME Alliance signed with the Imo State Government is part ofDIGITAL SME’s general commitment to working with international partners. The goal is tosupport a productive dialogue with public and private stakeholders in advancing democratic andhuman-centred approaches to technology and ICT standards worldwide. It will be one sure stepahead, bringing the global experience to Imo State and further empowering Imolites to reapmaximum benefits from the digital revolution.
