Investment in education, human capital, key to sustainable development

For Nigeria to maintain its status as the giant of Africa, Sterling Bank Plc, has stated that investing in key sectors like education, technology and entrepreneurship is requisite.

Speaking during the graduation and presentation of certificates to 78 trainees of the 11-month Information and Communications Technology (ICT)/Coding training programme sponsored by the bank, Head of Branding, Peju Ibekwe, upheld that these sectors are the next cash cow and any economy that wants to grow sustainably must focus on the areas.

She said, “Education is one of the fulcrums of our corporate citizenship efforts. We are committed to ensuring that this economy grows, and one of the major ways of doing that is investing in education of what can take Nigeria from where it is now, to where it ought to be in the comity of nations.

“We said Nigeria is the giant of Africa, for us to sustain or maintain the status, we must invest in the key sectors that can ensure that we are not just giant today but also tomorrow. Education and ICT are the future of not just Nigeria but the world.

This is obvious from various innovations around us. It is actually the next cash cow and any economy that believed it want to grow sustainably and is not focusing on technology has not even start.”

The training was organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, facilitated by Audax Code School and Andela, and powered by Sterling Bank Plc, as the major financier; Google and Microsoft.

The trainees, who were grouped and trained in seven ICT/Coding areas, at the event, showcased their technological prowess in Retail Web App; Library Management Web App; Recipe Web App; Check In Web App; Poll Web App; Quiz Web App and Social Web App.

Ibekwe in her assessment said, the solutions graduands created are blooming. “Some of their solutions are ready to go to the market. Once these projects get the needed financing it will advance.”