The ambassador of the Czech Republic to Nigeria, Tomáš Výprachtický, on Monday in Abuja, called for sustained investment in young people to improve their innovation and job creation skills.

Mr Výprachtický made the call during the inauguration of a 3D printing training and capacity building programme organised for selected Nigerians.

The programme is part of the Czech Republic, through Czech-based Prusa Technology, and the Nigerian non-profit innovation centre, Innov8 Hub, on an innovation and capacity-building programme for Nigerian youths.

The training programme will run from July to September, with a possible extension to October. It is expected to train 50 Nigerians during the first phase.

Mr Výprachtický said the investment was a critical driver of long-term economic growth and industrial development.

He said that although Nigeria faced numerous developmental challenges, the country possessed enormous potential, particularly in its youthful population, to overcome those challenges.

According to him, creating highly skilled employment opportunities and diversifying the economy are essential to unlocking that potential.

“From my short experience here as ambassador to Nigeria, I know one thing for sure: Nigeria is encountering many challenges, but at the same time, it has huge potential.

“Most of these potentials lie in its people, especially young people. To fully harness this potential, it is necessary to create highly qualified jobs for young people and diversify the Nigerian economy,” he said.

The envoy expressed optimism that Nigeria would achieve its long-term development aspirations through sustained investments in technology, innovation and human capital.

“We are happy and proud that our government and our embassy can make this small contribution to this long-term goal. I am sure Nigeria will succeed,” he said.

Earlier, the deputy general manager of Innov8 Hub, Deji Ige, said the partnership would accelerate the adoption of 3D printing technology and strengthen Nigeria’s innovation capacity.

He said that this was part of efforts to bridge Nigeria’s skills gap in additive manufacturing and promote innovation across critical sectors.

“3D printing is essential for rapid prototyping, product development, STEAM education, instructional material production and the fabrication of tools used across different industries,” he said.

Mr Ige said that the establishment of the centre would provide a dedicated platform for training researchers, students, government officials, industry professionals and academics in practical 3D printing applications.

He said the project had three core mandates, namely, the establishment of the fabrication centre, training and capacity building, and the promotion of innovation.

“It is a global technology, but Nigeria is still behind in terms of knowledge, operation, technical skills and the deployment of the technology to solve problems in medicine, engineering, education and agriculture,” he said.

He said participants would undergo three levels of training comprising basic, intermediate and advanced modules, respectively.

“The basic level will move participants from awareness to practical knowledge of 3D printing.

“The intermediate stage focuses on design manipulation, printer operation and troubleshooting, while the advanced level would prepare participants for more complex applications of the technology,” he said.

Mr Ige urged participants to embrace continuous learning to remain relevant in the rapidly evolving global technology landscape.

The 3D printing and fabrication centre is expected to train Nigerians in additive manufacturing technology and promote innovation across sectors, including education, engineering, healthcare and manufacturing.

 (NAN)