Tech industry is no doubt fast emerging as the world’s most lucrative industry to invest both talent and capital. As the world continues to evolve as a global village, many investors are trooping into the tech world to make a positive impact. Some as investors while some as mentors and social crusaders.
Mercy George-Igbafe, the founder of Learntor, an agile digital transformational organization that focuses on developing talents, African talents for African businesses with the goal to breach the skill gap has been at the forefront of training and mentoring youths both in Nigeria and other part of africa countries who pick interest in tech skill.
Recently, when she was asked if one requires a university certificate to have tech skills? she said “Let me tell you my story, as a survival of rape, my parents die very early. I had to self-fund for school and work at Ecobank. I was able to see tech and I was fascinated by it.”
“When people are going home, I will stay back. I was learning all the Microsoft applications, 1999, 2000, it earned me a promotion, I didn’t have any science background, I didn’t have any Computer Degree but it got me a promotion, why? Because I was hungry to learn.” she said
She further said “All you need in the tech-space is an open mind that is interested in learning tech-skills that can give you that global competitive edge, today, I am on the board of an international organization in the US as a woman leading the diversity equity and inclusion.”
“Today, Lentor is registered not just in Nigeria, it is registered in the US but it is taking a lot of sweat and blood, taking a lot of sacrifice, doggedness, tenacity, taking a lot of not killing myself literally and staying resolute. So Nigerian students, first of all, you have power in your hands, your mobile phone, the amount of time spent on the internet or browsing consuming peoples content, you can be a content creator, you can start to make money, you can learn skills, there are so many platforms today that are offering a lot of free programme like; Coursera, Udemy and many more. But going on those platforms to learn them and not having an organization like Lentor where you can have hands-on practical is not enough.”
burtressing her point, she also said “Certification alone is not enough in itself; it is the right application of the certification. What makes MB&B successful? It is processes, the right people with the right mindset in the tech-space, it is the IT infrastructure that has been created and that is basically the standard operation called the POIPIT Module (People, Organization, IT Infrastructure and Processes), that word makes everything comes together, so you can’t learn certification and not find a place to go and practicalize your learning. If we have 33.3% of high unemployment in Africa, according to Nigeria Bureau of Statistics and according to the World Bank, now it will shock you to know that the number is going to surge, so even those that are employable, they are unemployable for organizations because they don’t have the skills-set. So, it is a yin and yang. We have high unemployment, we have employability problems, local businesses and start-ups that are wanting to leverage techs are outsourcing jobs to Asia, Europe. Local talents are here looking for work. They can’t find work because they don’t have the tech-skills to help them thrive. So, Nigerian students, now that ASUU is on strike, leverage this time to learn tech-skill” she concluded.
Meanwhile, Mercy George-Igbafe who was born into the family of late Mr. Friday Wilson Ekpo and Mrs. Rosemary Effiong Eyo from Akwa Ibom State on December 3rd 1974 have digitally upskilled and reskilled over 2,200 Nigerians.
thecommentngFebruary 28, 20222 Mins read
