FG to train 500,000 youths on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Federal government has expressed commitment to train 500,000 youths across the country on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Technical Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Madam Abiola Arogundade disclosed this while distributing laptops and online course licenses to 50 students in Government Science and Technical College, Area 3 Abuja on Wednesday.

The students are expected to learn the basic skills of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics online for six months.

Briefing journalists, the presidential aide said the online training is the first among many that will be carried out in different schools across the country.

“We are giving 50 students courses. 25 will be Artificial Intelligence and 25 will be Robotics. It’s a six month course.

We also gave them laptops. We have installed the software for them to do the courses for six months. You will go from stage one to stage two. After stage one, you will have to pass the exams which is like a quiz to get to stage two. So it is for six months, after six months you get your certification. After you finish the course, we will give you the tool to be able to make money.

“We are trying to promote Technical education across the country. If you look at countries like Germany, USA, Korea, Japan, they are going really far and vast with Robotics Intelligence. So it’s about time that we too catch up with that. Next, we will be going to YabaTech to give out laptops and some courses. We would like to capture 500,000 youths across the country”, she said.

Representative of Lorenzo, one of the facilitators of this project, Babatunde Alao, emphasized the importance of Artificial Intelligence.

According to him, “Without AI today, one will be in another world. So that’s the reason why we say look, Nigeria is the hub for the rest of Africa. Like they say in every five black men you find around the world, there will be one Nigerian and we say, let’s take it upon ourselves in joint venture with Lorenzo, White cloud and with the office of SSA to the President on Vocational Studies to take this move.

On his part, the principal of the school, James Kuta Musa appreciated the presidential aide for considering students of the school for such a project.

He also assured her that the students will not disappoint her.

The principal further urged the students to use the laptops for the purpose for which it was given.

In his words, “This is a rare privilege you may not get any other day and I want to encourage you to take very good advantage of this donation from the Senior Special Assistant to the President.

“This is the first school to be given this. It is not meant for you to play games or watch films. And as you have heard what she said, she said it is a six month training programme and at the end of the six month, they will still come back to see what you have learnt. If we had this privilege as young men, we would have known where we are.