Google to train 10 million people in online skills in Africa

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Google says it will train 10 million people in Africa in online skills over the next five years in an effort to make them more employable.

 

Google also hopes to train another 100,000 software developers in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

 

Chief Executive of Google, Sundar Pichai said the company will also unveil Launchpad Accelerator with free seed equity fund of $3million.

 

This marks an expansion of the Digital Skills for Africa launched in April last year by Google to train young Africans in digital skills. Pichai said in March this year, the firm achieved the initial target of training one million people.

 

The company is "committing to prepare another 10 million people for jobs of the future in the next five years. The free funding would help start-ups to achieve their dreams and further help increase the GDP of the economy, which currently stood at 10 per cent," he said during his first visit to Nigeria.

 

In her welcome address, Google Nigeria Country Manager, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, said by 2034 Africa is expected to have the world’s largest working-age population of 1.1 billion, yet only between three and four million jobs are created yearly.

 

"That means there’s an urgent need to create opportunities for the millions of people on the continent who are creative, smart and driven to succeed. The internet and technology offer great opportunities for creating jobs, growing businesses and boosting economies. But people need the right skills, tools and products to navigate the digital world and to make it work for them, their businesses and their communities," she said.

 

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That is part of a company moral responsibility to the communities they serve.