Learn skills, your certificates not enough, Lalong tells youth

 

 .As FG partners state on job creation

 

 

By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

 

The Minister of Labour, Simon Lalong has urged Nigerian youth to consider skills acquisition as a means of creating jobs for themselves without necessarily depending on government to earn a living.

 

He said their certificates alone is not enough to grant them job opportunities in the present society, enjoining the youth to engage in various forms of skills acquisition for self employment.

 

At the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Taraba State government in respect of the operationalization of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment Skills Upgrading and Vocational Training Centre (SUVTC) Ibi, Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba state, yesterday , the Minister said the initiative was part of President Bola Tinubu’s determination to curb restiveness in many parts of the region, and Nigeria as a whole.

 

Lalang said the Taraba state has set a space for others to follow, while stating that it was the decision of the federal government to have such programme in all the states of the federation.

 

Speaking earlier, the Director overseeing the office of the permanent secretary of the ministry, Juliana Adebambo, said that the process of the MOU which she said followed due diligence started when the Taraba State Controller of Labour related matters. Mallam Abubakar Sajo wrote to inform the top management of the Ministry of the desire of the Taraba State Government to go into partnership with the Ministry by taking over the day to day running and operation of activities at the Centre located in Ibi. Ibi Local Government Area of the State.

 

According to her,  a consent letter from the Governor of the State was sought and obtained. leading to a draft Memorandum of Understanding.

 

She stated further that, following which the MOU underwent scrutiny at different stages and all the terms therein were acceptable to both parties.

 

The Director maintained that the draft MOU was later sent to the Federal Ministry of Justice for their consent. legal advice and approval.

 

“Today the final copy of the MOU is what the consenting parties, which are, the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Labout and Employment and the Taraba State Government are here to formalize by signing the document”, she noted.

 

 

She stated that the purpose of the gathering was to begin the process of actualizing one of the key agenda of the administration led by His Excellency. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in curbing unemployment menace and youth restiveness in the country through the establishment of Skills Centres in mostly rural areas nationwide and to encourage the acceptance of Blue-Collar Jobs as against the insistence on White-collar Jobs that is highly lavored by the Youths.

 

The Director noted that the “signing of the MOU couldn’t have come at a better time than now as wanton restiveness among the youths especially in that part of the North Eastern: region of the Country has become worrisome.

 

“So far, the Borno State Government has completed the same process, as the Skills Centre in Konduga is fully operational and being by the State Government. Furthermore Kano. Kaduna and Edo State Governments have equally shown interest in going into this type of agreement with the Ministry”,.

 

On his part, the governor of Taraba state, Agbu Kefas commended  the Federal Government for the efforts being put in place to create Jobs and reduce poverty in the Country.

 

Represented at the event by the state commissioner for cooperative and poverty alleviation, H. James Phillip said the establishment of the Skills Acquisition Centre in Ibi Taraba State is one of the efforts of the Administration, staying that the initiative key in Job creation and poverty reduction especially in Taraba State.

 

He said the state will take over the Skills Acquisition Centre and Manage it Effectively for the Benefit of the good people of Taraba State.

 

According to him, “We have put in place proactive measures and effective monitoring and Evaluation mechanisms to ensure the smooth running of the centre: our target is to train at least Five Thousand (5000) Skilled youths and Women in the Centre in the next three years.

 

“I want to use this medium to thank the Federal Government for their efforts in creating Jobs. I also want to request that more of this laudable project should be built in our dear State for the good of our people”.