Today, July 15, marks World Youth Skills Day and I am excited about it. First, because I am young and I know what not celebrating young people’s efforts feels like. Also, because the day commemorates the essence of equipping young people with skills for innovation and growth.

With the rise in digital skills and the increasing number of young people with access to digital devices, it is only expedient that we leverage on such opportunities to drive change.

I recently engaged a young man who was using his skills to rake huge amounts due to his vast knowledge in that space. I asked him how I could join this amazing world of opportunities and all he said to me was, “it’s in your hands”. Until today, I failed to grasp the import of his message.

A lot more need to be done in fully educating young people, especially young women and girls, like myself on how the world of technology and digitization can positively impact our lives. Although there are consequences of the wrong use of these digital tools, the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

As the world celebrates the youth today, may we applaud all the digital giants using technology for good. I cannot mention names but their innovations will stand the test of time so that we all can benefit from them.