A cross section of participants at the Quick Fix Demand Driven Skills Training and Technocultural Crafts Training Scheme in Sokoto. PHOTOS BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto –
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has urged the unemployed Nigerian youths to embrace entrepreneurship as a means of creating wealth instead of waiting for white collar jobs which are not readily available.
The NDE Director of Training, Vocational Skills Development Programme (VSD), Isa Audu, gave the advice in Sokoto on Thursday during the official flag off and orientation ceremony of Demand Driven Skills Training (Quick Fix) second phase and that of Technocultural Crafts Training Scheme (Tecrats).
The Director, who was represented by his Deputy, Ibrahim Ladan-Argungu, said: “Rather than waiting for white collar jobs which are not there, you can create wealth for yourselves by becoming an entrepreneur”.
“Do not wait to become a liability on your parents or anybody. And you must not understand English, go to school or have much money to become an entrepreneur”.
He assured the participants that the NDE would soon kick start the programme as their services will be needed by all, adding that the high population in the north provides them with ample opportunities to become wealthy and also as employers of labour.
Alhaji Argungu further urged the participants to revive and modernize the lost cherished crafts of the northern region.
The Sokoto State Acting Coordinator of NDE, Malam Muhammed Gusau stressed that the programme is a practical expression of the statutory mandate of NDE which seeks to create mass employment opportunity for unskilled and unemployed persons in Nigeria.
Mallam Gusau, who spoke on behalf of the Director General of NDE, Malam Abubakar Nuhu Fipko, said 50 participants will be trained in cultural crafts such as pottery, hat/cap weaving, beads making, leather works, beauty therapy, soap making, barbing, tie and dye as well as vulcanizing etc, which are now demand driven.
While noting that the Federal Government can not create jobs for everybody, Mallam Gusau urge other tiers of government and the private sectors to join hands with the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration in the fight against mass unemployment.
In his goodwill message, Bodinga Local Government Desk Officer of NDE, Malam Sani Sifawa said despite been a civil servant for about 30 years, he earns more from his handiworks than the salary.
Collaborating the assertion, Dange Shuni Desk Officer of NDE, Alhaji Abubakar Mode Shuni appealed to participants to take the scheme serious, adding it has the potentials of changing their lives for good.
On his part, one of the participants, Yahaya Muhammed, said he graduated from the University since 2016 but remained unemployed til date. He however, pledged to utilize the opportunity given to him to become self reliant and an employer of labour
On behalf of the females participants, Umuh Mohammed, equally thanked the NDE for considering them worthy of the skills acquisition programmes.
