From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
In its contribution to reducing restiveness, kidnapping, raping, and rural banditry, among other vices bedeviling the country, National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) has commenced the training of 70 nomadic youths and women in skills acquisition to promote entrepreneurship and job creation.
Speaking while declaring the training open yesterday in Kaduna, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Bashir Usman, said that the initiative would go a long way in reducing the poverty percentage of many rural societies because many young people in the country today are eager to imbibe relevant livelihood skills.
Usman, who was represented by the Director, Extension, Education and Skills Development Dr Abdu Umar Ardo said half of the more than one billion established manual jobs globally are dependent on livestock and agriculture, which are emerging entrepreneurship skills for livelihoods.
The NCNE boss stressed that the vocational orientations one learnt can assist him till the end of his life., adding that Youths and women who are empowered with improved animal husbandry skills can earn from it sustainably till he/she dies.
According to him, it is very important that the 3-day training workshop for the youths and other participating critical stakeholders from the states very apt and timely.
He urged them to be more determined in ensuring that all out-of-school nomadic children totalling 3.5 million are enrolled in our schools.
Usman further explained that the various skills provided in the all important training workshops which provide the trainees with artistic, manipulative, life coping, lifelong communicative Empowerment Skills,
Intellectual Empowerment Skills as well as problem solving skills:
“Overall, empowerment skills and acquisition training are basically to ensure poverty eradication, good educational standard, job creation, good governance, security/crime reduction, national growth, technological development and employment, wealth creation and self-reliance.
“ I use this medium to express our profound gratitude to the present administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, for the support of the Federal Ministry of Education, Universal Basic
Education Commission (UBEC) under the leadership of Dr. Hamidu Bobboyi for their continuous support in funding the programmes of our Commission.
“I also wish to call on the Kaduna State Government and other states in the Country to provide adequate teachers and infrastructure for Nomadic Primary Schools well as include the training of Nomadic Youths in their programmes while thanking the Kaduna State for being an excellent”, he said.
Speaking earlier, the Director, Extension, Education and Skills Development, Dr. Abdu Umar Ardo urged the participants to take advantage of the life changing training and use the start up pack that will be provided to them as tools that will take them to the next level of life.
