10,000 youths benefit from FG’s industrial skill development programme

No fewer than 10,000 youths have benefitted from the National Industrial Skill Development Programme (NISDP), an official has said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that NISDP is a Federal Government initiative aimed at addressing youth unemployment in the country through bridging the entrepreneurship, vocational skills and funding gap.

NISDP is a tripartite collaboration of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Bank of Industry (BoI).

The programme is a subset of National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDP).

Dr Dikko Radda, the Director-General, SMEDAN, at the closing ceremony in Lagos, said the empowered youths graduated fromvarious training centres nationwide.

He said that the acquired skills were in consonance with priority sectors needed to rejuvenate the economy.

Radda, represented by Mr Wale Fasanya, Director, Enterprise, Development and Promotion, noted that the skills would also intensify the “Made in Nigeria” campaign.

The beneficiaries were trained on agri-business, fabrication, ICT, wood-work, building technology, electrical/electronics, fashion designing, hotel and catering management, among others.

According to him, the entrepreneurship training module is simplified with basic information required to kick-start and manage successful micro and small enterprises.

He said that the agency would continue to strive for excellence and strategic growth for a structured and efficient MSME sector through forging of strong partnership with public and private sector institutions.

Radda said that the partnerships would lead to emergence of an all-inclusive, conducive business environment and access to market.

He disclosed that the agency would soon commence business clinic broadcast where all regulatory agencies would participate in diagnosing and solving problems confronting entrepreneurs.

Mrs Kayode Aroloye, Deputy Director, ITF, said that the acquired skills would discourage and reduce the use of foreign artisans from neighbouring countries in building construction.

She said that the programme would address the challenges of youth restiveness, reduce crime rate while having multiplier effects on SME development.

Aroloye stressed that the programme projects a future direction that indicates that the government was interested in the well-being of the youth.

Miss Sofiat Towoba, a graduate of Fashion design, said that the skill acquired through the programme had exposed her to the importance of being self-reliant in a challenged and changing economy.

“I am an undergraduate at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic. With this skill, I have been empowered not to wait for any white collar job after graduation.

“I will not be a burden to my parents and the society because they will always be parties and clients will definitely bring clothes to me,” she said.

NAN reports that exercise was done simultaneously in 19 states and 57 centres across the country. Lagos state has 500 graduands.