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David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Unemployed youths in Nnewi area of Anambra State, numbering 250, recently completed a one-week training in six special skills at the Technology Incubation Centre (TIC), Nnewi.
In a ceremony to end the programme, the lawmaker representing Nnewi North/Nnewi South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency, Chris Azubogu, explained that the initiative was a zonal intervention project organised in collaboration with the Board for Technical Incubation of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology for the welfare of the constituents.
He told the participants that the facilities had been provided for their empowerment and urged them to be determined and serious in utilising the skills acquired in their future endeavours.
“From the little you have received here, pave your way for greater achievements. Form cooperatives. We try to attract the Federal Government to this micro business and entrepreneurship in the interest of those who are unemployed. Don’t use your seed money for anything other than what it is meant for. We want you to be useful and successful not only to yourselves and your families but to the society,” the lawmaker said.
The zonal director of the TIC, Dr. (Mrs.) Uche Chukwu, commended Azubogu for bringing the empowerment programme down to his constituents. She told the participants not to lose sight of the purpose of the training, which she said was to assist them to stand on their own.
“Not every job seeker would have the opportunity of getting a white-collar job,” she said, adding that the TIC had always remained poised and focused and ready to collaborate to train the youths and others in various areas of technology-based skills, as part of its mandate towards contributing a sizeable quota to the technology driven-economy of the nation. She promised that her office would, from time to time, visit the beneficiaries in order to monitor their progress so that they would not derail.
In her address, the acting centre manager of TIC, Dr. (Mrs.) Bright Ilechukwu, said the unemployed graduates were sufficiently trained and equipped with special skills in ICT, chemical and allied business, food processing and packaging, art and craft, as well as decoration and leather works, among others.
She noted that the trainees passed through the theoretical and practical programmes, noting that it was expected that the graduates would become self-employed and also become employers of labour in the near future.
Ilechukwu also commended Azubogu for his support and contributions to the centre and his constituency over the years.
One of the dignitaries at the event, Emeka Etiaba, SAN, urged the participants to work hard, as the secret of success, according to him, was hard work.
“Now you have your certificates and seed money. You can challenge God with them and God would bless you. Place them before God,” he advised.
Certificates were issued to all the successful participants at the end of the programme.
