By Haruna Muhammad Inuwa
Nigeria is a great country. A country with great potential and great people. A giant of Africa and, of course, the most populous black country in Africa. Foreigners from other parts of the time – well, for some that have not travelled well – sometimes confuse Africa and Nigeria. This is because they tend to generalise that every black individual coming from Africa is from Nigeria. This is how dominating our great country has been!
In 2018, on March 10, President Muhammadu Buhari launched a national orientation program tagged “Change Begins With Me”. In the speech, he challenged Nigerians to realise that the change they want to see begins with them and that personal and social reforms are not a theoretical exercise. So, he practically says that for a developing country like Nigeria, everyone must get to work and realise their potential for the needed change we have been seeking. This must be a national assignment from Kano to Calabar, Lagos to Maiduguri.
Embarking on a sacred expedition of bringing change in any society requires one to be passionate about their ideals. They must first identify a problem within. They must be willing to walk the talk. They must be willing to sacrifice a lot of time and resources. They must be believers in the change they wish for. Change is brought about so ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Hence, an ordinary citizen called Engr. Mustapha Habu Ringim founded Engausa Global Tech Hub.
The Engausa model emerged as a one-size-fits-all solution in a society with system-wide problems. However, the approach is more interesting because it is skill-driven. Engausa Hub aims to empower these youths with digital skills in a community with battalions of unemployed youths. Engausa advocates teaching digital skills using home-based languages for accessible communication and understanding. From the city of Kano, Engausa Global Tech Hub is becoming a focal point of attraction to many university graduates, undergrads, Almajiris, and even those with natural talent and innovative ideas to be developed, managed or commercialised.
The Engausa story is inspiring because it centres on shaping the way things work and changing the narratives of our society. All thanks to the relevant authorities, who support the innovative activities of the Engausa Hub, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Technology Incubation Centre Kano. During the recent graduation of 1353 students who were rigorously trained in programming, video editing, blogging, graphics design and software development, social media literacy, and digital marketing, the DG of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, happily commended Engausa Global Tech Hub for this significant paradigm shift in the digital ecosystem.
Engausa Global Tech Hub thrives on breaking barriers and bridging gaps. So far, the hub has graduated over 1700 technology apprentices with over 50 innovation-driven enterprises owned and managed by the Engausa graduates. Statistically, the hub is turning into a school where you don’t need a college degree before earning a living. Many Engausa graduates are now managing their business; others work in private sectors or are independently freelancing.
Engausa Global Tech Hub seeks collaboration and partnership to expand its operations to other northern Nigerian states because a generational change can only be actualised.
Haruna Muhd Inuwa wrote from Lagos via diamondmuhd@yahoo.com.
