The Federal Government has said 800,000 youths and women are to be trained on vocational and skills acquisition in Plateau State.
National Coordinator, Basic Skill Acquisition Training Programme in Nigeria, Lawrence Kyuka, disclosed this during a three-day training programme for youths and women in Pankshin Local Government of Plateau.
Mr Kyuka said nine local governments had been selected for the programme, being anchored by the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Youths and students Affairs, Mr Nasir Adhama.
He gave the names of the areas as Shendam, Langtang North, Langtang South, Pankshin, Mangu, Bokkos, Jos North, Jos South and Riyom.
“The Federal Government is out to ensure that the teeming youths and women are empowered with skills to be self-employed and become employers of labour to boost the nation’s economy.
“There is provision of a soft loan for participants in the training on skills like farming, catering, soap and detergent production, photography, video production, new media and e-business.
“Each participant is entitled to a loan ranging from N100,000 to one million Naira to start his or her business, which we believe will reduce the rate of unemployment in the country, ’’ the Coordinator said.
Mr Kyuka said after training the 700 trainees in Pankshin, “we shall move to Mangu LGA to kick start another one until we go through all the nine designated areas in the state’’.
Chairman, Pankshin Local Government, Naomi Golmwen, while declaring the training programme open, commended the Federal Government for the “well -thought’’ initiative.
Mrs Gollmwen described the programme as a blessing and relief to idle youths and women in the area, which believed would be given a sense of belonging in the society.
“Youths are the vanguard of every society and if they have nothing doing they can’t contribute to the development of their communities and the nation at large.
“Such a laudable programme designed by President Buhari-led APC administration will go a a long way in checkmating crime and indolence in our youths and women,’’ she noted.
They charged the participants to maximise the opportunity to learn skills of their choice and be prudent in repaying the loans “so that you don’t put to shame this local government.’’
NAN
