PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Further Information Contact: Ousman Bah, Chief Executive Officer
(+220 438-2785/7001968/5044060)
January 03, 2019
NEW TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE TO BE LAUNCHED IN BANJUL TO TRAIN GAMBIANS IN 21ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGY
SKILLS
On Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 4:00p.m., at 55 Kairaba Avenue, Pipeline Kombo, Fajara, The Gambia,
a new institute for training young people in Information Technology and providing advanced training for currently practising professionals in the field will be launched. Everyone is welcomed to attend the opening ceremony. It is hoped that His Excellency President Barrow and the First Lady will be amongst the distinguished guests.
The Indian Institute of Hardware Technology (IIHT) Gambia Limited is associated with IIHT Technologies—an organization which operates in more than 100 cities across India and 23 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. The Institute will offer programs fully accredited by the Ministry of Education.
(For additional information, visit our website at www.iihtgambia.com). To date, more than 5½ million GMD in pre-operational expenditures have been incurred to ensure a quality beginning of instruction and training. Certified instructors will come from India, a well-recognized leader in innovative technology and training and an exporter of the highest number of IT experts in the world.
The goal of IIHT Gambia Limited is to build a cadre of 1000 skilled professionals in the first two years to lend the needed support to help The Gambia to make progress towards achieving technological independence. At the end of five years, the goal is to have a skilled workforce of 5,000 to generate $100 million USD through export of IT services, assist the government to reduce unemployment and provide Gambian youth an alternative pathway to the current backway to Europe which can mean risking their lives to find employment.
IIHT Gambia Limited is born out of the vision of an expatriate, Ousman Bah, who was born and raised in The Gambia, but left at the age of 18 to gain his higher education and training in the United States where he has lived for over 28 years in the Silicon Valley. Although he is now a citizen of his adopted country, he has never lost his vision of one day giving back to his native country which has given him so much. Mr. Bah achieved a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology and a double Masters Degrees — MBA and MSc. He firmly believes in education and training as essential to empowering youth and improving the lives of people.
For further information, please contact Mr. Bah, Chief Executive Officer, as shown above.
About the CEO:
Ousman Bah, BS, MBA, MS,c Chief Executive Officer, IIHT, Banjul, The Gambia
Mr. Bah comes to his leadership of the IIHT School with a wealth of academic training and experience with major international companies and institutions based in the United States. His experience includes working in various executive positions with such firms as the AT&T, Bank of America and Worldpay. He is currently employed as a Regional Sales Director for the West Coast for Clearent—a company in the Fintech Industry that is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
After several visits back to The Gambia, most recently in 2017, Mr. Bah was inspired on each visit by the talent and potential of the young people he met. He became aware of the fact that, although 12,000 Gambians finish Grade 12 annually, less than 25% secure full time employment nor is able to travel overseas to advance their education. He was also aware of the lack of resources available to train those students in the technology field. This is where the idea of IIHT was conceived. Mr. Bah felt obligated to give back to his country of origin and
provide a program that can give every young Gambian the knowledge, skills and training to
compete in the technology of the 21st Century.
He reached out to the Indian Institute of Hardware Technology (IIHT) about opening a training center in Banjul to prepare high school graduates and other working professionals already in the field of technology to enhance their skills in information technology/cloud computing in a handson program. The goal is to connect talent to opportunity and enable Gambians and students from neighboring countries to access a gateway to a global career.
Mr. Bah has traveled extensively all over the world. His major interest since a young age has always been and remains using technology to enrich the lives of people. He earned both of his Masters Degrees from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Mr. Bah is married and has one son. He lives in San Leandro, California, USA—a part of the San Francisco Bay Area.