Global technology company, Cisco has established 200 Networking Academies in Nigeria, toward boosting digital skills.
Olakunle Oloruntimehin, General Manager, Cisco Nigeria and West African Countries, made this known during the Network Academy (NetAcad) Demo and Roundtable Session on Saturday in Lagos.
Oloruntimehin said that the establishment of 200 Networking Academies made Nigeria the country with the highest number of Cisco Network Academies in Africa.
He said that the technology company was committed to strengthening digital skills in the country.
According to him, founded in 1998, the Cisco Networking Academy is a comprehensive e-learning programme.
He said that NetAcad provided an ever-expanding community of students, employers, educators’, NGOs and employees with the requisite technical and entrepreneurial skills required to transform the world for the better.
”At Cisco, we have come to understand that technology is truly powerful when combined with education.
”We are proud to say that for over 20 years, the Cisco Networking Academy has impacted the lives of over nine million students globally.
”Our courses are designed to mould technical talents and hone our students’ skills for innovation in digitisation.
”In partnership with a number of educators and instructors at 200 academies in Nigeria, we are constantly working to deliver the best curricula to help train these students,” the General Manager said.
Oloruntimehin said that NetAcad continued to shape communities and economies around the globe, creating a pipeline of technical talents, who were ready to innovate and shape the future.
Cisco also announced its new, three-year partnership with international advocacy organisation, ‘Global Citizen’, to power the movement to end extreme poverty.
He said that the partnership involved the company’s commitment to funding and technology to help end poverty, playing a vital role in making progress towards the United Nations’ Global Goals for Sustainable Development and ending extreme poverty by 2030.
”Cisco is extremely happy to partner with an organization like Global Citizen, who shares an affinity for driving global change, especially with the use of technology and innovation.
”Through this multi-year partnership with Global Citizen, Cisco will equip advocates and activists around the world with the 21st century skills and tools they will need to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the world’s most marginalised people,” Oloruntimehin said.
The event and demo session had in attendance the Chief People Officer, Cisco, Francine Katsoudas and other senior executives of Cisco provided an opportunity for NetAcad students to demonstrate their trainings so far.
Demos showcased NetAcad students include a smart IoT solutions – Fire Alarm system, by the students of Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Yaba and the assembling of a Computer by students of Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ojo.
Other interesting demos included a robotics demo – Auto Farm Machine by students of Federal Government College, Odogbolu, as well as a demo from students of Queens College, Yaba, on Smart Bin. (NAN)