Peace Corps prepares for Buhari’s assent to Bill, begins members’ training

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By Olugbenga Salami

In preparation for the expected assent to the Nigeria Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari, the organization has entered into partnership with a United Kingdom-based ASQ Development and Training Company for the training of its officers and men across the country.

Specifically, the two organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU for the digital literacy skills training of the Corps members.

National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Prof. Dickson Akoh, signed for his organization while Mr. Samson Adeosun endorsed the document on behalf of the UK-based company.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, Akoh said the MoU was signed on Monday, January 30 to enable his members undergo various learning of digital related courses, including introduction to computer information technology, introduction to working with computer and devices, introduction to working with soft-ware applications, introduction to internet, networks and networking basics and introduction to cloud computing.

Akoh added that the training will also involve introduction to computer programming basics, introduction to data-based basics, introduction to artificial intelligence basics and lastly introduction to robotics.

The agreement, he further stressed would enable the ICT Instructors from the company to establish centers in the six geo-political zones of the country.

The National Commandant disclosed that out of the membership strength of over 187,000 comprising regular members and volunteers, no fewer than 15,000 have already registered for the training.

Besides the training and certification of the Peace Corps members, he said the management of the company “in furtherance of the MoU, has also provided a window of opportunity for our members to explore further professional training in their chosen fields in the United Kingdom.”

The National Commandant, while emphasizing on the need to equip his members who are mostly youth with digital literacy skills for a robust, effective and efficient service delivery, said the organization has “taken some far-reaching steps to adequately prepare them for challenges in anticipation of the eventual assent by Mr. President to the Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian Peace Corps, which shall give it statutory backing.”

“As you may be aware, the organization has a well-structured network of offices in all the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory as well as offices in over 94% of the local government areas in the country with a membership strength of over 187,000, which comprises of regular members and volunteers.

“Most of them are university graduates of different disciplines.
Therefore, equipping them with Digital Literacy Skills will in no doubt sufficiently prepare them to discharge their responsibilities as it relates to our core mandate,” he stressed.