5 ICT SKILLS YOUTHS NEED IN NIGERIA New skills are coming up in the ICT field in Nigeria and there are a lot of skilled jobs that ICT provided for youths that are aspiring genius and guru who can make a living out of it. But not every ICT skill is actually a hot skill in Nigeria. There are some ICT skills that are considered drab skills; it means they are not always needed and no much vacancy advert from them. This is among the top 5 skills in Nigeria. GRAPHIC DESIGNING A graphic designer is a visual communicator, someone who creates visual concepts by hand or by using computer software. They communicate ideas to inspire, inform, or captivate consumers. These skills are very important in an organization that deals with product marketing. Most firms are no longer willing to outsource this service out, making them employ graphic designers in numbers. Having this skill can either allow you work from home, work as a tutor in an IT school or work for an organization. As a graphic designer, you work with softwares like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Drew, Adobe InDesign, and LightRoom. You are required to be creative and also think outside the box. DIGITAL MARKETING A digital marketer is a professional who markets products and services using new media or digital technology to achieve marketing goals. The competition among firms has forced them to take most of their marketing campaigns online. These days, a lot of companies are shifting their attention to social media because of the vast amount of reach they possess. Facebook, alone, receives more visits than the world's largest search engine, Google. You should learn how to target certain sections of your country’s population to boost sales, as well as improve people's awareness of the brand you are representing. Due to this, companies have been forced to hire Digital Marketers who will lead them through this campaign. Having this ICT skill as a youth guarantees you a job no doubt. Even without guarantee, your chances of getting something doing are on the high side. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT A software developer is someone who develops softwares. Your ability to write codes using various programming languages like C#, Java, Python and a whole lot to create and implement computer softwares. This is one of the leading ICT skills in 2018 because of its complexity, thereby creating a huge gap in the supply level of programmers. Once you acquire this skill, there is a guarantee, your chances of being picked up a top-level firm. WEB DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT Thanks to the internet, the world, as we know it, is becoming increasingly interconnected. Nowadays, companies use sites to project their brand to the global community. Knowing how to setup a website is a plus, as most companies prefer using their workforce for jobs like these. You could also improve your knowledge of Search Engine Optimization because many companies spend a fortune optimizing their websites for search engines. Equipping yourself with skills in website building and SEO will improve your value in the eyes of potential employers. You could help them save funds that would have been spent elsewhere with your knowledge. NETWORKING Networking standards are global. That means your skills and certifications are recognized anywhere in the world your career takes you. Cisco-certified professionals have worked their way up through global corporations in places all over the world. They live in every sized community, supporting small businesses, schools, and social services in every location where someone connects to the Internet. In conclusion, Nigeria is evolving at an alarming pace in the area of Information Technology. Any of the following ICT skills stated earlier that you have acquired or learned that is not being utilized at the moment isn't a waste, because you'll never know when you will be called upon to save the day. Companies are fond of skilled, versatile youth graduates and that's what they look out for during their recruitment exercises. To stand out from the rest of the pack, get yourself acquainted with the various I.T skills outlined above from our MASTERCLASSES going on Nationwide at www.digitalempowerment.com.ng

Falade Segun Emmanuel is a 43-year-old dynamic individual with intuitive passion for ICT Entrepreneurship vision, ever desirous of wealth creation through the dint of hard work, perseverance and possesses an insatiable crave for knowledge acquisition as a serial Digital Marketing expert, International business developer and consummate MLM Wealth Leads Generator. He is a graduate of University of Ilorin with bias for Linguistics but had strong intuitive flair for Computing way back 2002 and gone ahead to developed and horned it over a period of 17 years. He has been involved in social media & mobile marketing campaigns for retinue of politicians across party divide running into millions of naira from 2009 till date after 10 years working experiences in both the Banking and Telecommunications sector. Falade Segun Emmanuel is happily married to Mrs Stella Nnebuogor Falade and the marriage is blessed with 3 kids, He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Moneywealth Info Systems Ltd with the trademark @Virtualnaira.