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Ten Nigerian students are to be sponsored to China by Huawei to major in ICT-related studies and practical ICT insights. The sponsorship, the third edition of its Seeds for the Future, is part of Huawei’s corporate social responsibility and commitment to the Nigerian government to provide ICT training for Nigerian youths, said a statement by the Chinese telecoms giant.
The sponsorship is also part of an African-wide initiative by Huawei to train Africans in ICT whether in Kenya or South Africa and build high grade skills to manage the continent’s rising technology profile.
The students were selected from those who signed to the Huawei Authorised Information and Network Academy (HAINA) or Huawei ICT Academy, including students from the University of Nsukka, Nigeria, University of Lagos, and University of Benin.
HAINA is a partnership project between Huawei and universities offering Huawei ICT courses, to encourage students to attain Huawei certification in support of a subsequent career in the ICT industry.
“The programme seeks to develop local ICT talent, enhance knowledge transfer, promote a greater understanding of, and interest in the ICT sector, and to improve and encourage regional building and participation in the digital economy,” said Channel Service Director of Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited, Mr Simon Zhang.
Zhang said Huawei targets to train over 100,000 students by partnering top universities in Nigeria through the Huawei ICT Academy. Already about 10 universities had signed to the Huawei ICT Academy. , Zhang believes sustained cooperation between Huawei and the partner universities is critical to helping more students build successful ICT careers.
The telecoms giant plans to have 40 ICT academies this year and about 25,000 students put through preparatory stages for the ICT competition.
One team is to be selected to go to South Africa for the regional ICT competition and the overall best team in Africa will then proceed to the global competition in China.
“This initiative will change the life of the students completely because they will be certified internationally. The students will have the better opportunities beyond their university education,” said Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwole Familoni even as admonished the students to take the competition in Nigeria very serious.
Mr Michael Maxwell, a beneficiary of the initiative and a participant of the Huawei ICT competition, expressed his appreciation and hope Huawei will further deepen the opportunities, particularly for students of the University of Nsukka.
