FCTA empowers 500 out of school youth with N50,000 grant

Stories by Stanley Onyekwere

To ensure an economically sustainable and safe society for all especially disadvantaged children, the FCT Administration has empowered no fewer than 500 out of school youths across the FCT with a grant of N50,000, to embark on small businesses in their various skills.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of out-of school children and youth empowerment at FCT Department of Mass Education (DME) headquarters in Karu, Abuja, Mandate Secretary, Education Secretariat, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, said youth empowerment is not just a moral obligation, it is a necessary investment in a collective future.
Hayyo noted that the FCT Administration under the leadership of FCT Minister, Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike is committed to the advancement of the Education Sector in the FCT which significantly led to a rapid improvement and renovation of schools within his three months of assumption of duty.
He said: “When we empower our young people, we empower our communities, our nation and the world at large.
“To the beneficiaries of this skill acquisition training and grants, it is not business as usual whereby you squander the money and return to status quo, but an opportunity for you to commence your small businesses and further enroll for continuing education programme of the Department of Mass Education for your educational progression.
“So much is expected for us to have a sustainable literate society for the actualization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). So let us join forces to provide out of school children, youths, girls and women with the opportunities they deserve.”
He continued : The high rate of illiteracy amongst both young and old spells doom on any nation which requires our collective attention and action as a nation.
“We know that education is the key to unlocking the potential of our young people. It is the foundation upon which they can build their future, break the cycle of poverty, and become active citizens who contribute positively to their communities.
“So, this government is very serious on getting every child educated and mainstreaming those out of school back to either formal school or learning centres of the Department of Mass Education.
“The roadmap for the achievement of the above is embedded in the Core mandate of the Department of Mass Education which provides for Basic/Post literacy, Continuing Education, Vocational Education, Women Education Programmes, Nomadic Adult education, integrated Quranic Education, Computer/ICT Programmes and skill acquisition programmes to enhance functional lifelong livelihood, so significantly no one must be left behind.
I’m so delighted to be part of this event to address the global concern and challenges of out of school children and youths in the FCT with a view to reduce the incidences of illiteracy, ignorance, joblessness and poverty in our society through provision of functional literacy and skill acquisition programmes.
“Also, today we have the opportunity to showcase the efforts of the Honourable Minister in educational and infrastructural development.
“Similarly, there is also emphasis on skills acquisition in both Junior and Senior Secondary schools in the FCT to equip children with skills of passion that can contribute to self-sufficiency and job creation, in other words, no child will graduate without having a trade skill in either, garment making, catering, shoe and bag-making etc for sustainable livelihood.
“Though the efforts of FCT-Department of Mass Education and other Departments, Boards and Agencies in FCT-Education Secretariat is yielding positive results, much is still to be achieved through collaborations with viable NGOs and the international development partners who have been complementing government’s role in educational development due to the bulging influx of out of school children and youths in to the FCT.
“This is why the FCT-Administration has been working tirelessly to create an enabling environment where every child has the opportunity to learn, grow and contribute meaningfully to society, permit me to reiterate that FCT Administration has zero tolerance for street and out of school children.
“I therefore call on stakeholders, philanthropists and individual to work together and ensure that disadvantaged children are given support and sponsored in various vocation to achieve an economically sustainable and safe society.”