Business
Digital Literacy Essential For Employment – IT Expert
The Chief Executive Officer of Commit Technology and Consult, Dr Oyeniran Oyekale, says digital literacy is a prerequisite to making Nigerian graduates employable.
Oyekale said this at a press conference on “Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3)’’ programme in Lagoson Friday.
He said various communities expected their graduates to be ready to thrive in the digital age but the skills required for such success were neither well defined nor included in many learning standards.
Oyekale said the lack of such skills underscored the need for post secondary institutions to be positioned to do more to keep pace with rapid technology, research and societal changes.
“These will ensure that students will be ready to thrive in today’s knowledge-based, global society,’’ he said.
The Information Technology (IT) expert said that the trend in the world is for everyone to be digital literate.
He said that Nigeria should move at the pace at which other countries were moving in order not to be left behind in the digital world.
“Digital literacy and basic computing skills are increasingly becoming necessary for individuals to have job opportunities and for nations to be competitive.
“Without basic computing skills, citizens suffer from lack of valuable learning resources, inability to engage with their government and community and a desperate lack of skills necessary in almost all modern jobs.
“Even students who have had the benefit of higher education have graduated without the skills employers need,” Oyekale said.
He said that with the IC3 programme, the issue of not being versatile in computer and Internet to meet global industry standard would be a thing of the past.
According to him, the Global Digital Literacy Council has committed years of hard work and dedication to create and define the global standard to test digital literacy, which is the IC3.
He said that IC3 was a widely acceptable digital literacy standard to overcome discrepancies between the skills of an individual and the employer’s expectations.
Oyekale said that the IC3 programme was meant to teach computing from the scratch.
He urged the government to make IC3 programme part of the education curriculum to make Nigerian graduates more employable.
Digital literacy is said to be the ability to use digital technology, communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.