EFCC, TCTI Sign MoU on Digital Skills Provision for Youths

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and Teachers Continuous Training Institute, TCTI, Biase, Cross Rivers State have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU on digital skills provision for Nigerian youths.

The document was signed a few days ago when TCTI Director General, Professor Taoheed Adedoja led the management team of the Institute on a courtesy visit to EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede at the Commission’s corporate headquarters.

Olukoyede, while noting that the MoU aligned with the preventive mandate of the Commission in the fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes also observed that collaboration and integration of youths were critical for success in the anti-corruption fight.

“No single agency can do this work alone. The issue of reorienting our suspects does not strictly fall within our mandate. Our mandate is to investigate and prosecute, but we can also find a place for it and that was what came to my mind when this proposal came up. We can make it part of our preventive menu and that is where we see it as part of our responsibility and a need for us to have a synergy with the Institute. This MOU is something that we can work with. We are going to immediately operationalize the provisions of it,” he said.

Olukoyede who noted that it would be difficult to reform or reorientate idle youths, stated that “It is when they have basic skills that you can ask them to engage in productive activities. I want to align our thought and our belief with the proposal on digital skill acquisition for youths and also let you know that is something that we are going to work with. We are coming up with a Research Institute in our academy. We are constructing our new academy where we are coming up with our ICT Research Centre and Cyber Security Centre. Youths form a substantial group in Nigeria, it is important for them to earn legitimate living,” he said.

He admonished the youth to stay off internet fraud, saying, “Crime does not pay. It is only a matter of time and they will begin to see it. Even though they will be given an option of fine after they must have been convicted, they are still ex-convicts and whether it is custodial or non-custodial, it is not good for their future,” he said.

In his remarks, Professor Adedoja disclosed that the purpose of the TCTI intervention was to provide digital skill literacy for the Nigerian youth.

“The essence of this exercise; the essence of this intervention is to provide digital skill literacy for Nigerian youths so that they can deploy the skill for national development as we have seen some models in different countries. What happens in other countries is that they watch out for intelligent youths, skill them and deploy them to various aspects of their national lives. We believe that there should be an intervention programme in respect of this challenge,” he said.

The TCTI boss further stated that the collaboration between the EFCC and TCTI would also provide Nigerian youths with psychological support and rehabilitation. “We will also be providing some psychological support and rehabilitation. Nigerians will now see EFCC from a more positive point of view of providing intervention for Nigerian youths,” he said.

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