The Benue State Government is set to expand digital skills training for youths as part of its ongoing digital transformation efforts, following a strategic partnership between the Benue Digital Infrastructure Company (BDIC) and the Cisco Networking Academy.
The partnership marks a major step in the state’s plan to build a digitally skilled and globally competitive workforce, with programmes designed to align local talent development with international standards.
The agreement was formalised at the Middle East & Africa Cisco International Systems Annual Conference held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event provided a platform for Benue State to showcase its commitment to digital capacity building and workforce readiness in a global setting.
The partnership was executed by the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BDIC and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Digital Infrastructure Corporation (AfDIC), Mr Terwase Gbande. He said the collaboration is a direct outcome of the bold and intentional digital transformation agenda of Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
Gbande said the governor has consistently positioned digital skills as a core pillar for economic growth, youth empowerment and public sector reform. According to him, within the first year of the administration, the Benue State Government launched an ambitious programme to train 10,000 youths in digital and technology enabled skills.
He added that the government also rolled out ongoing digital literacy and e governance training for over 40,000 civil servants. He said the initiative is aimed at modernising public service delivery, improving efficiency and enhancing transparency across government institutions.
Gbande described the Cisco partnership as both a strategic validation and justification of the state government’s sustained investments in digital skills development. “This partnership provides a globally recognised framework to scale, standardise and internationalise Benue State’s digital skills initiatives,” he said.
According to Gbande, the agreement ensures that training outcomes align with global industry standards and labour market demands, while supporting wider access to international opportunities for trained youths.
Under the partnership, Benue State will train 23,000 youths every two years using Cisco’s internationally accredited curricula in networking, cybersecurity, digital literacy and emerging technologies. The programmes will offer globally recognised certifications designed to boost employability, enhance remote work readiness and open international job placement opportunities.
Gbande explained that the Cisco Networking Academy operates in more than 190 countries and has trained tens of millions of learners globally. He added that Cisco certifications in networking, cybersecurity, cloud computing and IT essentials are widely trusted by employers, governments, multinational corporations and academic institutions as benchmarks for industry ready skills.
Beyond youth empowerment, the partnership is expected to strengthen government capacity by supporting continuous digital upskilling of civil servants. Gbande said this will reinforce Benue State’s transition to e governance, data driven decision making and digitally enabled service delivery across ministries, departments and agencies statewide.
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