9mobile trains 36 PG students, targets more beneficiaries

Telecommunication service provider, 9mobile, said its 9mobile Telecommunications Engineering Postgraduate Programme (9TEPP) being run at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has produced 33 Master’s and three PhD graduates since it was launched in 2013.

In a statement, the 9mobile Acting Managing Director, Stephane Beuvelet and the ABU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Garba said, the programme will be expanded to take in more beneficiaries.

It said 9TEPP was recently reviewed to make more Nigerian youths beneficiaries of its gesture as well as make it more impactful in response to emerging industry trends.

Beuvelet said: “9TEPP is a taught master’s programme situated in Ahmadu Bello University and is implemented in partnership with Plymouth University, UK. Through it, 9mobile is innovatively developing local expertise with regards to telecommunications engineering skills.

“9TEPP was launched in 2013 with the initial five-year period ending in 2018 but it was extended for a further period. So far, the programme has produced 33 Master’s and three PhD graduates.”

The programme is migrating to an online platform to offer opportunity for interested Nigerians to study online while widening the curriculum that includes study of e-commerce and tele-medicine, amongst others.

“9mobile will build a Digital Academy that will be dedicated to the training of more Nigerians in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as well as seek partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) as part of proactive steps to expand 9TEPP’s scope and impact.

“We decided to revamp the programme after a comprehensive review meeting with a team from ABU led by the VC to meet current realities,” he noted.