By Beauty John, LAFIA
The Nasarawa state government said it has channeled enormous resources towards the completion of Institute of Technical Education to enhance development of science and technology in the state.
Governor Abdullahi Sule disclosed this at the annual youth summit organized by Actionaid Nigeria(AAN) in partnership with Global Peace Development (GPD), Beacon Youth Initiative (BYI) and the state Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
Sule said the institute will have varied admission requirements, so that people with certain degrees that find it difficult to get jobs can also come and acquire skills in areas they find interest.
He noted that the youth summit with the theme: “Youth Engagement for Global Action”, resonates the policy trust of his administration for the empowerment of the teaming youth in the state.
“These are the kind of areas we will identify and ensure that our youth get involved, so that they can be employers of labour rather than employees.
“Electrical installation, motor mechanics, fabrication engineering, welding , carpentry, building , agriculture mechanization, air condition and refrigeration, tailoring, radio and mechanics and others will form the platform for youth engagement”.
“Our young men and women will have the opportunity to acquire skills in order to engage in profitable ventures, with the view to reducing poverty and create wealth in consonance with our economic empowerment initiative, “ he asserted.
Sule commended ActionAid Nigeria and partners for the initiative and implored the youth to take advantage of the initiative to develop themselves for self reliance.
Earlier, the Country Director of Action Aid Nigeria, Ene Obi, had said that youths become baits and tools for violence when they are not meaningfully engaged.
“It is important that in tackling this vulnerability, the number of out-of-school, unemployed youths be reduced. Young men and women in conflict zones have suffered severe psychological loss for many decades which tends to affects the way they think and act,” she said.
Represented by the Director of Finance, Oluwole Elegbede, Obi explained that ActionAid Nigeria has been leveraging on such platforms to equip the youth with the right information and empowering them to contribute to the development of their state and the country at large.
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Global Peace Development (GPD) Ebruke Onajite Esike stated that the critical factor responsible for growing insecurity in the country is that youths are often neglected in governance and peace building process.
He then called on the state governments to initiate the passage of Youth Development Bill which he said will be a catalyst for youth involvement in governance, development, security, politics and societal stability.
