Yemisi Izuora
Global technology leader, Cisco, has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen digital skills in the country as the company celebrates the establishment of 200 Networking Academies in Nigeria, making Nigeria the country with the highest number of Cisco NetAcads in Africa.
Founded in 1998, the Cisco Networking Academy is a comprehensive e-learning program that provides an ever-expanding community of students, employers, educators’, NGOs and employees with the requisite technical and entrepreneurial skills required to transform the world for the better.
The celebratory event and demo session which had in attendance Francine Katsoudas, Chief People Officer, Cisco and other senior executives of Cisco, provided an opportunity for NetAcad students to demonstrate their trainings so far.
Demos showcased included a smart IoT solutions system, the assembling of a computer by students from Queens and Kings College, Lagos. Other interesting demos included a robotics demo by NetAcad students who won the National Robotics Competition as well as a demo from the runner-up of the 2019 Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge, who won a sum of $10,000 for their REALDRIP solution.
Commenting at the NetAcad demo and roundtable session, Olakunle Oloruntimehin, General Manager of Cisco Nigeria and West African Countries, said, “At Cisco, we have come to understand that technology is truly powerful when combined with education. We are proud to say that for over 20 years, the Cisco Networking Academy has impacted the lives of over 9 million students globally. Our courses are designed to mold technical talent and hone our students’ skills for innovation in digitization. In partnership with a number of educators and instructors at 200 academies in Nigeria, we are constantly working to deliver the best curricula to help train these students”.
The roundtable session ended with an announcement from Cisco on its new, three-year partnership with international advocacy organization, Global Citizen, to power the movement to end extreme poverty. The partnership involves the company’s commitment to funding and technology to help end poverty, playing a vital role in making progress towards the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development and ending extreme poverty by 2030.
Speaking on the partnership at the roundtable session, Olakunle Oloruntimehin, said, “Cisco is extremely happy to partner with an organization like Global Citizen who shares an affinity for driving global change, especially with the use of technology and innovation. Through this multi-year partnership with Global Citizen, Cisco will equip advocates and activists around the world with the 21st century skills and tools they will need to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the world’s most marginalized people.”
Taught in 180 countries with 10,400 academies globally, the Cisco NetAcad has impacted the lives of 9.2 million students. It continues to shape communities and economies around the globe; creating a pipeline of technical talent ready to innovate and shape the future.