YABATECH Urges Youths to Embrace Digital, Technical Skills, Create Opportunities

Funmi Ogundare

The acting Director of the Centre for Information Communication and Public Relations (CICPR), Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Adekunle Adams, has urged Nigerian youths to continually acquire relevant digital and technical skills to remain competitive in a rapidly changing economy.

Adams, who said this recently at the Catalyst Shift 1.0, held at the Yusuf Grillo Auditorium, said young Nigerians must move beyond seeking employment to developing the capacity to create value, solve problems, and generate opportunities for others.

He spoke on the theme, ‘Empowering the Next Generation to Evolve, Lead and Impact’, at the programme organised by the Ayo Lawal Empowerment Foundation.

According to him, technological advancement, AI, automation, digital platforms and changing workplace demands have made continuous learning imperative for the younger generation.

“You cannot build tomorrow with yesterday’s mindset,” said Mr Adams. “The next generation must be prepared to learn, unlearn and relearn.”

Adams noted that although university degrees, certificates and professional qualifications remain important, they should not mark the end of a young person’s learning journey.

He urged youths to regularly ask themselves what they are learning that can make them more valuable in the future, stressing that knowledge must be complemented by communication skills, emotional intelligence, digital competence, creativity, problem-solving ability, teamwork, entrepreneurship and character.

Adams noted that competence might open doors, but character determines what happens after opportunities are secured, encouraging young Nigerians to develop an entrepreneurial mindset by shifting their focus from asking, “Who will employ me?” to questions such as, “What problem can I solve?” “What value can I create?” and “What service can I provide?”

According to him, this mindset is necessary for Nigeria to harness the potential of its youthful population and address the country’s development challenges.

Adams highlighted the college’s empowerment initiatives, including entrepreneurship programmes, innovation challenges, digital training, technical skills acquisition, industrial training, mentorship, and industry engagement. He said the objective was to move students from knowledge acquisition to knowledge application and equip them not only to seek employment, but also to create opportunities.

The college’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, including the Folawiyo Entrepreneurship Centre, encourages students to identify opportunities within the challenges confronting the country.

Adams pointed out that digital empowerment should go beyond certificates, noting that digital skills could provide pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, and participation in the digital economy. He cautioned youths, however, against viewing technology as a substitute for critical thinking and sound judgment.

“Technology can amplify your ability, but it cannot replace your character,” he said, adding that artificial intelligence could assist with writing and information processing, but users must retain human judgment, creativity and ethical responsibility.

Adams restated the value of technical and vocational skills, noting that Nigeria needs skilled technicians, engineers, fabricators, designers, builders, artisans, manufacturers and technical entrepreneurs.

“Students need to meet people who are already operating in the industries they aspire to enter. They need to understand what employers expect. They need practical exposure. They need mentors,” he stated.

On leadership, Adams urged young people to understand that leadership does not depend on titles or positions, but on responsibility, service, accountability, and influence. He said that youths could demonstrate leadership by solving problems, supporting others, executing responsibilities with excellence, mentoring their peers and maintaining integrity.

He further identified effective communication as a critical leadership skill, urging young people to communicate intentionally, listen to others and consider whether their words were truthful, necessary, respectful and constructive.

Adams also advised youths not to wait for perfect conditions before pursuing their goals, encouraging them to start with available resources, volunteer, build relationships, develop their skills and offer solutions. He said relationships matter, but young people should focus more on the value they bring to their networks than on merely seeking influential connections.

On the theme of impact, Adams said young people should measure success not only by what they accumulated but also by the positive difference they made in the lives of others. He commended the foundation for creating a platform for mentorship, leadership development and youth empowerment, urging the organisation to strengthen collaboration among education, industry, entrepreneurship, technology and community development.

He said empowering young people could have a multiplier effect on families, communities and the wider economy. He urged participants to embrace the message of the ‘Catalyst Shift’ by evolving through continuous learning, leading through responsibility and creating impact by solving problems and helping others.

“Don’t wait for somebody to give you permission to become who you are capable of becoming. Don’t wait until you have everything. Start. Learn. Improve. Serve. Lead. Impact,” Adams said.

Speaking with THISDAY, the foundation’s convener, Ayo Lawal, urged young Nigerians to discover their individual purpose and resist pressure to follow their peers’ paths, saying clarity of purpose remains critical to achieving fulfilment in life.

He said the programme was designed to help young people who have lost a sense of direction or felt unfulfilled despite achieving success in their careers. According to him, many young professionals become confused about their next steps, making mentorship and purposeful conversations important tools for helping them navigate these challenges.

Lawal explained that the mentorship programme, previously held virtually for more than five years, was now moving to a physical platform to enable participants to engage directly with mentors who had relevant experience in their fields. He said the initiative aimed to create an environment where young professionals could ask questions, share concerns, and receive guidance from people who had navigated similar experiences.

Lawal urged youths to avoid measuring their progress against their friends or following other people’s career paths simply because they appeared successful, and encouraged them to prioritise character over reputation, arguing that strong character would ultimately sustain an individual’s reputation.