Decagon software development firm trains 29 engineers
Software
By Taiye Olayemi
Lagos, Aug. 2, 2019 (NAN) No fewer than 29 Nigerian graduates who have been undergoing training to become software engineers will be certified next month upon completion of six months intensive
training by Decagon Software Engineering Firm.
The firm’s founder, Mr Chika Nwobi, made the disclosure at a news conference in the company’s office, along Lekki-Epe expressway, Lagos on Friday.
Nwobi said the training was made possible through their partnership with Sterling Bank where soft loans were got for the students to facilitate their training.
He said the loan only attracted minimal interest rate which would be paid by the students after they might have been gainfully employed.
According to him, the graduates were trained because it was observed that there is huge demand of software engineers globally as Nigerian youths are known to be talented and smart on the field.
“We have been able to do this through partnerships with Sterling Bank and other organisations.
“We made arrangements for the students upkeep, feeding, accommodation and monthly stipends.
“Each person is meant to mentor at least one person at the end of the training to actualise our mission as a software development firm,” he said.
Nwobi said that upon completion of their programmes, automatic employment opportunities would be provided for the students as Decagon sourced for corporate organisations and institutions in need of software developers.
He said this was the third set of software developers trained by the institute who had been gainfully employed.
He added that the target of the firm was to train 5,000 world-class software engineers in the first five years of it’s existence.
According to him, this is to transform Nigeria into one of the most respected sources of elite software engineering talents in the world.
“So far, we have trained seven software developers for the first set, 22 for second set and another 29 this set.
“Our vision is to be the refinery that will transform exceptional talents from different backgrounds into elite software developers, leaders, positioning Nigeria as the preferred source for software talents, while solving the nation’s local problems with software solutions,” he said.
Nwobi said Nigeria had advantage over other countries in the world who are technologically advanced due to Nigeria’s time zone, English language which is most popular language adopted in nation and most brilliant Nigerians had few job options.
According to him, these factors ordinarily would have positioned the nation at a vantage position over other countries assuming there were enough talented engineers to train.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Johnbosco Okoror, a graduate of electrical engineering, said that software training had improved his knowledge greatly and hoped to train more Nigerians.
Uchenna Egbo said that the programme so far had been amazing as they learnt in a conducive environment.
“It has been a massive session of intensive lectures, we eat well, we really appreciate Decagon for this great opportunity,” she said.
Earlier, Miss Khafil Animashaun, Head of Strategy, Sterling Bank said that Nigerian universities had failed to produce the quality of graduates that Nigerian organisations need.
“Since our universities have failed us in providing the quality of graduates Nigeria labour market deserves, we have come up with ways to assist institutions like Decagon produce the right kind of graduates,” she said. (NAN)
PTB/PDE
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(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)
(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)