The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has begun an ICT training programme aimed at equipping over 200 Ghanaian youth with essential digital skills. It is a significant move to address the rising unemployment rates among young people in the country. This initiative, a 10-day intensive programme from 3rd June to 14th June, is expected to empower hundreds of young individuals, providing them with the tools needed to thrive in the rapidly evolving digital economy. The programme, part of ECOWAS's broader regional development strategy, focuses on key areas such as coding, software, mobile and web development (front and backend) for the first week, and cable TV development for the succeeding week. It aims to bridge the skills gap and prepare participants for opportunities in the global digital marketplace. With technology becoming an integral part of modern business operations, training is a critical step towards reducing unemployment and fostering economic growth. Mr Baba Gana Wakil, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Ghana, said as a result of youth unemployment some youth had taken to illicit activities, including drug use and that is a very costly undertaking for the Future development in the sub-region. He said a productive component of the population, who engaged in such activities, made it rather worrying and the situation needed to be nipped in the bud. The ECOWAS Resident Representative said the training programme had become necessary as it taught the youthful population in Ghana and all the 14 member states of the West African subregion the needed skills to be self-sufficient through job creation without relying on the government. 'Once the youth are engaged in something meaningful then the tendency to drift towards drugs and trafficking and other transnational crimes will greatly reduce,' he said. According to Mr Wakil, prisons in the sub-region were filled with a youthful population with drug-related issues. He said many of them were in prison because they were unemployed, and it was time to think outside the box, be innovative and ensure that the youth created jobs for themselves. The fastest way to do that, he said, was through Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and digitalisation, adding that it was the fastest way to go for individuals and economies in the sub-region. Mr Wakil observed that there was no way development could be advanced without embracing ICT and digitalisation in the global landscape. He said the ECOWAS Commission itself had fully embraced ICT with its new department on Innovation and Digitalisation Department to bring the sub-region at par with the rest of the world and to compete favourably with other developed countries. Mr Emmanuel Arthur, Chief Executive Officer, Ramsys InfoTech Solutions, Consultants for the Training, said at the end of the programme, those undergoing the cable TV will be given tools kits to enhance their work. For those undergoing app and Web development, a community platform will be created for them to be mentored by prof essionals on how to build groups and teams to develop commercially viable solutions. Mr Arthur said there were plans to replicate the training in other regions to ensure inclusivity. Evans Osei Asamoah, a participant, said it was fulfilling to enrol in the programme as that will open job opportunities for him to contribute meaningfully to the country's development. Source: Ghana News Agency