How to tackle ‘japa’ syndrome in ICT – Firm

Tackling the drain of highly skilled IT professionals, locally referred to as the ‘japa syndrome’, requires discovering, equipping and training self-motivated youths in conjunction with global partners in specialised IT disciplines, a Nigeria-based IT training institute, Tezza Academy, has said.

Tezza Academy’s Equity Manager, Mr Jide Modele, disclosed this when a team from Accra Institute of Technology (AIT), Ghana, visited Tezza facility in Lagos at the weekend.

“By retaining talented individuals and providing them with cutting-edge IT skills and opportunities, the academy seeks to transform the brain drain into brain gain thus contributing significantly to Nigeria’s Global Value Chains (GVCs) as an important human capital export nation,” Modele said.

He said Tezza offers free tuition and residency programmes, empowering young Nigerians with high-end IT skills and ensuring job placements upon completion of a three-month intensive training.

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Since 2020, he said, the academy had been forging partnerships and delivering high skill sets required across sectors locally and offshore allowing trainees to be absorbed into client sites in a way that effectively addresses unemployment and employability challenges in Nigeria.

To this end, Modele said Tezza Academy and Accra Institute of Technology would explore partnerships for IT skill development in Africa.

He said the two organisations were already in talks for partnership to foster knowledge and talent exchange, research advancements, and cultural understanding between the two institutions.

Speaking after the facility tour, the president of AIT, Prof. Clement Dzidonu, said the collaboration will envision providing entrepreneurship support for student entrepreneurs to strengthen the development of startup incubation programmes and access to funding opportunities for innovative projects.

Dzidonu also said the partnership could open opportunities for the two organisations in both countries leading to internships, job opportunities for students and graduates as well as industry-sponsored projects to address one of the growing challenges on the continent for closing knowledge gaps and nurturing highly skilled IT professionals across sectors.