The Director-General of the Imo State Orientation Agency, Dr. Ethelbert Okere, has pledged that the agency will intensify efforts to disseminate Governor Hope Uzodimma’s digital transformation message to the grassroots. He made this declaration while receiving a comprehensive report from staff members of the agency who participated in the recently concluded Artificial Intelligence seminar themed “Redefining Imo’s Future Through Artificial Intelligence”, held at the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (UAES), Umuagwo.
Dr. Okere commended the organizers and facilitators of the seminar, noting that the state government, under the visionary leadership of Senator Uzodimma, has demonstrated clear commitment to repositioning Imo as a digitally driven economy. According to him, the Orientation Agency will now begin a new phase of sensitization, targeting local communities, traditional institutions, and schools, to ensure that the AI message and digital vision of the governor trickles down to the grassroots.
He emphasized the importance of digital literacy in today’s fast-changing world and affirmed that the agency’s field officers and community mobilizers will be retrained to align with the digital transformation agenda. “We cannot afford to be left behind. This report has shown that Artificial Intelligence is not just for the tech-savvy—it is a tool for development and empowerment across all levels,” Dr. Okere stated.
The DG also praised the participating staff for their active involvement and representation of the agency at the seminar. He urged them to serve as ambassadors of the knowledge they have acquired and charged them with leading advocacy and enlightenment efforts in their respective zones. The report presentation marked the beginning of the agency’s strategic integration of AI education into its core grassroots orientation programs.
At the start of the seminar on Monday 14th July, 2025, the state’s commissioner for tertiary education prof. Victor Nwachukwu, who represented governor Uzodimma at the seminar re-iterated the government’s unwavering commitment to digital transformation as a driver of socio-economic development in the state, expressing optimism that the knowledge gained from the seminar will serve as a catalyst for innovation, youth employment and inclusive progress across all sectors of the state.
He stated that the future of the state lies in embracing technology and building a knowledge-driven society and charged participants to become change agents and technology ambassadors in their communities, encouraging them to apply the knowledge they will gain during the seminar in finding solution to local problems.
The AI seminar is among the many capacity building programs aimed at redefining the state’s future through knowledge, innovation and inclusive governance.
