By; FUNMI ADERINTO, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government, led by Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai through the State Ministry of Business Innovation and Technology (MBIT) on Wednesday, organized the 2022 Kaduna Innovation Challenge in collaboration with the Kaduna ICT Hub.
As Kaduna State turns 55 on May 27, 2022, in commemoration of this milestone, Kad ICT Hub Stem and Creativity Festival was held at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua hall in Kaduna.
Speaking at the event, the CEO Kad ICT Hub, Yusuf Bashir said that Kad ICT Hub innovations is all about creativity, “you’re to think, think outside the cloud to be able to do a lot.”
He said, “if you think, you can do it, and if you act, it will come to reality.
“However, young people should open their minds, do not let people tell you, you can’t do it, you should not be afraid to ask questions, hence if you ask questions, you can never be wrong.”
He admonished the young ones to, “open your minds to productivity, ask yourself how was it like, how can it be done.”
Consequently, parents have been urged to also encourage their children to develop ICT technology because they always rely on government to seek for white collar job.
He advised youth to engage themselves in ICT by learning modern technology in order to be self employed as they cannot rely on government because of the population.
He added that youth can be self reliant in order to support themselves and make their country proud and the best, hence creating jobs for themselves.
“Students need to understand business principles, you have to be identified as a honest person, innovating opportunities to expand your business.
“The best company that sells is that which advertises its products, from business principles you will know how to market your products,” he said.
He encouraged the young people to go along with intelligent students and learn ICT from them, saying, “for you to be successful, you need to work hard.
“As a programmer, you need to think a lot, you need to come up with ideas that will sell in markets, hence thousands are waiting out there, there’s need to sit down and consult your mates on which problems are worth solving.
“We need to learn to be patient in the midst of failure, do not give up, press forward to greater achievement,” he advised.
Speaking further, he said that the Innovation Challenge comprised of the Hackathon, as well as the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Creativity Festival.
“The Hackathon is a computer programming competition that seeks to create digital solutions to problems related to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while the STEM and Creativity Festival involving secondary school students and university undergraduates, include workshops aimed at developing the minds of the youths into more positive endeavours.
“There are about 16 stances who participated in the exhibition which came from various secondary school and others from outside.
“The secondary school students displayed various forms of creativities during the exhibition while others learnt how to improve on their talent productivity,” he disclosed.
Senior government officials were in attendance to assess the students abilities to perform various skills on ICT technology that will empower them to be self reliant.
