From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Federal Government has assured the gemstones and jewellery trainees of its support to ensure that their products compete favourably with the jewelleries being imported into the country.
Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, made this known, yesterday, when he visited the selected Nigerian youths being trained in various aspects of professional production of gemstones and jewellery at the Jewellery Centre of Abuja Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Adegbite who was accompanied by the Project Coordinator, Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification (MinDiver) Project, Sallim Salaam and the First Deputy President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Chief Emeka Obegolu said the ministry engaged the services of experts to train 40 youths selected from across the 36 states and FCT to participate in a train-the-trainer jewellery making programme in Abuja.
He said the essence of the training was to ensure that the trainees were able to impart knowledge acquired on other people.
“The target is not just to train them but to set them up; we are using state selection, every state in Nigeria is represented here and by the time the programme is completed, we are going to have a revolution that will multiply and engage our teaming youth positively,” he said.