Co-creation HUB (CcHUB), Nigeria’s first innovation centre and technology hub, has begun accepting registrations for GATEWAY, a five-year initiative designed to train 340,000 young Nigerians in digital skills and connect them to gig work opportunities.
The programme combines training with physical access points (hubs) and access to devices like laptops and internet connections. GATEWAY is structured to address what CcHUB describes as an opportunity gap, where gig economy growth exists alongside a high unemployment rate in Nigeria.
“With GATEWAY, we are building a pipeline that allows young Nigerians to earn from businesses down the road and clients halfway across the world,” said Ojoma Ochai, Managing Director of CcHUB.
The online gig economy, which comprises short-term work mediated by digital platforms, accounts for 4.4% to 12.5% of the global labour force, according to the World Bank. Across Africa, countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa account for an estimated 17.5 million online gig workers, driven largely by young populations and high unemployment rates. Still, many lack access to the tools and infrastructure needed to participate in the gig economy effectively.
“If you put that side by side, you realise that the problems also present an opportunity for us to leverage the gig economy,” Timothy Aluko, Program Lead, Nigeria GATEWAY Program at CCHub, said. GATEWAY is CcHUB’s attempt to close that gap.
The GATEWAY training will be focused on four digital skills: digital marketing, graphic design, UI/UX design, and video production and editing. According to Aluko, these tracks were selected based on demand trends observed across gig platforms.
“We did our research to say what creative digital skills are in top demand, and these four skill sets came up on top. That informed the reason why we’re going with this,” he said.
Before being accepted into the programme, participants are required to go through an assessment process that tests their basic digital literacy and skill level for those who already have experience. Once participants clear this stage, they are split into two pathways that reflect the programme’s assumption that not everyone starts from the same place.
0 comments:
Post a Comment