Police, foundation urge students to acquire AI skills
Stakeholders have urged Nigerian students to acquire digital and emerging technology skills to remain relevant in the future job market, warning that certificates alone may no longer guarantee employment. The call was made at the maiden edition of the Career Guidance and Skills Acquisition Workshop organised by the Open Africa Foundation in collaboration with the […]
nigeria police force
Stakeholders have urged Nigerian students to acquire digital and emerging technology skills to remain relevant in the future job market, warning that certificates alone may no longer guarantee employment.
The call was made at the maiden edition of the Career Guidance and Skills Acquisition Workshop organised by the Open Africa Foundation in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat at Government Secondary School, Gwarimpa, Abuja.
Speaking at the event themed, “The Future of Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Empowering Young Minds, Shaping the Future,” the Chairman of Open Africa Foundation, Tunde Aworinde, said the initiative was designed to bridge the gap between formal education and employability.
According to him, many young people complete their education without acquiring the skills needed either to secure jobs or create employment opportunities for themselves.
“Many went through the education system only with a certificate and not the skills for employment or to start their own business. And as we talk, there is about 30-40% youth unemployment in Nigeria,” he said.
Aworinde said the foundation was also seeking to address what he described as “mental poverty” among young people.
He added that the workshop was aimed at helping students think about the future of work before entering tertiary institutions.
“We are trying to inculcate this mindset in the minds of these children that you don’t have to go through the education system, and you don’t have to be unemployed or jobless,” he added.
Also speaking, retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police and Deputy Coordinator of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Stanley Ude, said artificial intelligence had created new dimensions of crime, including cyber fraud, deepfakes and fake news.
He noted that modern policing now requires professionals such as technology experts, lawyers and forensic specialists.
Ude said the collaboration between the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat and the Open Africa Foundation was also aimed at changing negative perceptions about the police among young Nigerians and exposing them to ongoing reforms within the force.
“The essence of our collaboration is also to help them understand that police are there to help them. When you are in distress, when you are in trouble, when you are attacked, when you are a victim, it’s the police that comes to help you. It’s the police you report to pursue the criminal,” he said.
He added that the reform process within the Nigeria Police Force was focused on improving professionalism and service delivery through technology and institutional changes.
“The reform that is going on in the police is to take care of some of these bad acts by deploying systems that will help policemen work efficiently and effectively in securing the society,” he said.
Our reporter observed that students drawn from 20 public and private secondary schools across the FCT received training in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, solar installation and video editing.