Abuja: The Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA) Institute of Management and Technology in Abuja has empowered 199 barracks youths on Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The youths were the first batch of ICT trainees under the institute’s Youth Empowerment Project for Barracks Youths 2025 to graduate on Saturday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the beneficiaries underwent six weeks of intensive computer training at the institute. In his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, commended NAOWA for providing the youth with the skills needed in the current digital environment for self-reliance. Oluyede, represented by the Chief of Special Services and Programmes, Maj.-Gen. Jamal Abdulsalam, said the training was a powerful testament to what visionary leadership, community commitment, and strategic collaboration could achieve.
He noted that the program fully focused on key concerns of national priorities, including youth empowerment, digital inclusion, and community development. The initiative not only opens doors for new opportunities but also lays a solid foundation for youth contribution to national development. Since its inception, this project has empowered hundreds of young men and women from the barracks communities with skills and confidence to pursue greater works. Today’s graduates are joining this legacy, and their stories of three weeks’ growth and transformation are expected to inspire many others in the coming months and years.
The COAS emphasized that the ICT intervention was not just a vocational scheme, but a strategic investment in the nation’s future in a world increasingly driven by technology where digital literacy is as essential as traditional literacy. He commended the determination and discipline exhibited by the trainees, stating they are living proofs that ‘when opportunity meets preparedness, great things happen’. Oluyede urged the youth to apply their new skills to improve their lives, uplift others, and contribute to the nation’s development.
Earlier, the President of NAOWA and Wife of the COAS, Mrs. Mernan Oluyede, said the graduation was a celebration of achievement, progress, and the promise of a brighter future. She noted that the ceremony marked the beginning of new possibilities fueled by vision, shaped by determination, and sustained by purposeful leadership. At the core of NAOWA’s mission is empowerment through education, training, and skills acquisition, borne from the urgent need to create sustainable livelihoods within barracks communities.
This ICT program equips the youth with the technical tools and confidence needed to succeed in a technology-driven world. The initiative embodies NAOWA’s values of service, compassion, and community development. Empowerment is seen not as a hand-out but as a hand-up-building capacity, instilling confidence, and promoting competence for lasting change. Mrs. Oluyede urged the graduates to carry not only their certificates but also a mindset of resilience, innovation, and excellence as they step out into the world.
Also, the President of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs. Oghogho Musa, represented by Mrs. Jane Undiandeye, highlighted that acquiring ICT skills is not just an advantage but a necessity. The youths have been equipped with tools to innovate, compete, and contribute meaningfully to societal development. Each trainee has shown dedication, resilience, and a hunger for knowledge.
In her remarks, a former President of NAOWA, Mrs. Hadiza Dambazau, commended the association for its visionary leadership and dedication to uplifting the barracks communities through impactful programs. She congratulated the graduates for acquiring vital digital and entrepreneurial skills aligned with the current global economy.
One of the graduates, Josephine John, expressed gratitude to the NAOWA president for providing them with an opportunity to acquire means of earning a livelihood through the empowerment training. She stated that life becomes useful and meaningful with productive skills. Graduating from this prestigious institute, the trainees have acquired economic skills to decently survive. John expressed collective appreciation to the NAOWA President for providing the resources that facilitated their successful training at NIMTA.