The Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre has called for more training and empowerment for the youth to reduce unemployment in the country.
The Director General of the centre, Michael Fawole, said it was high time graduates became employers of labour, instead of seeking white collar jobs which were not available.
Fawole made the remarks at the closing ceremony of a week workshop on skills acquisition and empowerment programme organised by the CLTC in Jos, Plateau State, a statement said on Sunday.
He said the institute had decided to support the President Muhammadu Buhari’s employment policy by providing skill acquisition opportunities to unemployed graduates across the country.
He explained that the centre was planning to give grants to such beneficiaries to enable them to start off, not just as small scale entrepreneurs, but as employers of labour in their own rights.
He said, “The decision to provide them with equipment is to help them become better citizens and agents of positive change.
“I am convinced that with the knowledge they have acquired and the tools in their hands, they have no reason to become tools for violence, terror, armed robbery, vandalism and other social vices that otherwise vulnerable people may be tempted to deviate into.”
Fawole, who explained that the participants were mobilised from 31 states and the Federal Capital Territory, said they were trained in various fields, including cell phone repair, hair dressing, barbing, chin-chin and popcorn making, industrial tailoring, commercial bread baking, shoe and bag making, as well as jewellery.
The Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalong, described as rare, the opportunity given to the participants of the programme.
He advised them not to fall to the temptation to sell the equipment given to them by the CLTC, saying they stood the chance of becoming entrepreneurs, as well as employers of labour.
The minister promised to partner with other government agencies to ensure that such training and empowerment programmes became more regular and attracted more participants, in line with government’s plan to empower young people in the country.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, who was represented by Mr. Gbenga Akingbola, commended the institute for partnering with the MDGs’ office to empower Nigerians.
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