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From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
As the world marks the global World Youth Skills today, Senator Uche Ekwunife Iyom has sent felicitations to the youths in Nigeria in general as they celebrate the 2022 edition of the global activity.
In her goodwill message, she harped on the importance of youths acquiring basic vocational skills in addition to the formal education from secondary and tertiary institutions.
Speaking on the theme of this year, “Transforming Youth Skills For the Future,” the legislator representing Anambra Central at the Senate urged government and public office holders at all levels to invest in the organisation of skill empowerment programmes for the youths within their areas of jurisdiction.
According to her, with such programmes, the unemployment gap in the country will be bridged. This will in turn help to quell youth restiveness and insecurity in the country.
Highlighting her efforts to this end at the 9th Senate, Ekwunife disclosed that through her empowerment and skills acquisition programmes, thousands of young people in her Senatorial District and beyond have had the opportunity of acquiring various relevant skills.
She urged youths not to rely on their certificates and white-collar jobs alone but to acquire basic entrepreneurship and vocational skills in order to become self-reliant and self-employed. Some of the programmes she mentioned as initiated by her included distribution of laptop computers to youths; entrepreneurship development training for youths in Anambra; vocational training for youths and women in seven LGAs in Anambra; training on the use of NBBRI finished products in building modern masonry, painting and carpentry for skilled technicians; capacity training on snail-rearing and fishery, among others.
