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The Asiwaju Skills and Innovation Vanguard (ASIV) has announced plans to roll out digital skills training, innovation grants and technology empowerment programmes across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, while commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s support for youth development and technological innovation.

The Director-General of ASIV, Hon. Joel Eze, disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja during a press conference, explaining that the initiative was designed to equip young Nigerians with relevant digital skills, improve their employability and create opportunities for economic advancement.

Eze said the organisation was committed to supporting the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda by connecting grassroots mobilisation with practical economic empowerment, technological innovation and sustainable youth development.

He commended Tinubu for supporting Nigerian technology innovators to participate in the National Innovation Challenge in London, where young Nigerians showcased artificial intelligence solutions and other emerging technologies.

According to him, the participation offered Nigerian innovators an opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities and compete on the global stage.

The ASIV director-general said the organisation planned to introduce nationwide training and grant programmes in artificial intelligence, software engineering, data analytics, hardware technology and other emerging fields.

He added that the organisation would establish zonal empowerment boot camps across the six geopolitical zones to provide young innovators with start-up toolkits, technical support and grants to develop their ideas and businesses.

Eze also announced plans to establish a national situation room in Abuja, equipped with a real-time data command centre and reporting system covering all 774 local government areas.

He explained that the proposed structure would strengthen grassroots coordination and improve the dissemination of information about government programmes, training opportunities and empowerment initiatives.

The ASIV director-general urged young Nigerians to take advantage of available digital training opportunities, noting that technology-related skills could expand their employment prospects and enable them to work with organisations across the world.

He said the organisation would mobilise its members to take information about government programmes to grassroots communities to ensure that eligible youths were aware of available opportunities and could apply.

Eze also called on individuals, institutions and other stakeholders to support the initiative, describing youth empowerment and technology development as collective responsibilities.

Speaking at the event, the National Women Leader of ASIV, Sharon Celina Ayiki, emphasised the importance of women’s participation in national development and pledged to mobilise women across different sectors to support the organisation’s activities.

Ayiki identified market women, farmers, teachers, students, entrepreneurs and mothers as important stakeholders whose participation could contribute to the country’s development.

Similarly, the National Secretary of ASIV, Nafiu Adamu, urged young Nigerians to acquire relevant digital skills, including cybersecurity and other emerging technologies, rather than rely exclusively on government employment.

Adamu said technology training could help young people access opportunities in the international labour market and earn income by providing specialised services to organisations outside Nigeria.

He also highlighted opportunities in innovation, robotics, digital intelligence and solar technology, urging youths across the six geopolitical zones to participate in the organisation’s proposed programmes.

The organisation reiterated its commitment to strengthening grassroots mobilisation to ensure that information about training, grants and other empowerment initiatives reached communities nationwide.

Also speaking, an ASIV member, Hon. Ahmad Tijjani, called on Nigerians to support the organisation and participate in the 2027 presidential election, expressing hope that President Tinubu’s re-election would help advance the country’s development goals.

He urged supporters to turn out in large numbers to vote for Tinubu in 2027, linking the appeal to the organisation’s broader vision of youth empowerment, innovation and national development.