By Stanley Onyekwere
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Professor Mohammed Sani Haruna yesterday said President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the ongoing mass training of youths and artisans on modern skills to create jobs and promote self-employment.
He said the training modules for each state and geopolitical zones have been based on feasibilities and needs assessments.
Haruna made the submissions in Keffi, Nasarawa State at the opening of Skill Acquisition Training and Youth Empowerment on modern methods of casting Plaster of Paris.
He said: “This programme is in the first-phase of North-Central regional skill development by NASENI as part of the implementation of the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari to the agency on development of capacity of Nigerian youths in various trades, to ensure skills acquisition for job creation and self-employment.
“The ongoing skill development training and youth empowerment programme of the agency across the country is aimed at introducing modern and technological ways of carrying out already existing occupation and trades, in order to make practitioners more efficient and to enhance growth and sustainability.”
He explained why the agency has been focusing on different trainings for skill acquisition for states and the six geopolitical zones.
“The specific training selected for each state and location is based on training needs analysis and feasibilities,” he added.
NASENI EVC said artisans were being retrained in modern technology to cope with global trends.
He said: “The extra manpower needed in manual handling of the designs translates to extra expenses and time wasting.
“The advancement in portable electric power tools and computer aided design and mold making is not only beneficial in terms of profitability but also in terms of beauty and safety.
“This and similar training will equip the youth to compete favourably with those coming from neighbouring countries.”
Haruna said Nasarawa State was chosen for the training of 100 youth because of its richness in solid minerals.
He said: “We are in the nation’s home of solid minerals, Nasarawa state, the nucleus of the North-Central Zone of Nigeria to train One Hundred (100) successful youths from this zone on the Modern Method of Casting Plaster of Paris (POP) and its applications.
“Over seventy percent (70%) of modern buildings now use PoP and hence the need for professionalism especially at the wake of reported collapse of some buildings across the nation.
“Absence of appropriate tools and equipment for the design, preparation, molding and casting has made POP work labour intensive with attendance inconsistency or non-uniformity where such pattern would have added beauty and utility.
“With this advancement the trainees will be exposed to will also benefit traditional bone setting practitioners in accuracy, precision and optimal utilization of material.”
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule Sule, who was represented by his Commissioner for Science and Technology, Prof. Umar Gurku disclosed that the state was doing same by training about 70 youths of the state on ICT, welding and fabrication.
While appreciating NASENI for adding value to the lives of youths across the country through skills acquisition, Governor Sule urged the participants to count themselves lucky for their selection to participate in the programme.
The Chairman of the occasion, Senator Solomon Ewuga said white collar jobs are no more , and the best way to engage youths is to train them into various skills acquisition programme such as this.
Others, who delivered goodwill messages at the occasion were the vice chancellor of Nasarawa State University Keffi, Prof Suleiman Mohammed as well as the Executive Chairman of Keffi, Hon Shehu Baba.
