Sokoto State Government has pledged sustained partnerships with the United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) in promoting skills acquisition training and other educational pursuits of youths in the state.
Alhaji Usman Arziki-Bodinga, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning stated this at the commemoration of the International Youths Day, organised by the state government, in collaboration with UNFPA on Saturday in Sokoto.
He described this year’s theme ” Green Skills for Youths Toward Sustainable Development”, as apt, saying that it will encourage self reliance and productivity among the youths.
The permanent secretary enjoined youths to explore their potentialities and utilise available opportunities in the state and the nation at large.
He lamented: “Unemployment rate is on the increase because everyone depends on educational certificates and all out looking for elusive white collar jobs.”
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Arzika-Bodinga said that the aim was to highlight the essential roles teachers, trainers and other educators play in providing skills that will equip the youths for labour markets.
According to him, the efforts will prepare them to become relevant decent entrepreneurs in their communities and societies.
The UNFPA Programme Officer in the state, Mrs Gloria Enueze, urged youths to embrace skills for self reliance to reduce unemployment in the country.
Enueze said: “Skilled youths are not jobless, they cannot be easy preys in the hands of organisers of evils in the society.”
A Youth Advocate and UNFPA Desk Officer, Malam Umar Idris, said the objective of the day was to awaken youths to be entrepreneurially minded and have plausible and indispensable digital skills.
Idris said people with skills and education had good chances to thrive and succeed in life, adding, “a skilled person is always relevant at any point of his or her age because there is no retirement.
” The older you become in your skill, the more experienced and sought after you become by those who need your services.
” Skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development should be given more priority in Nigerian schools.”
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He added that no society can progress without skills development, saying,” a technical man or woman can never be unemployed.”
Some participants, A’isha Musa, Sa’adatu Hussaini and Yusuf Abubakar, described the event as profitable and promised to utilise the knowledge gained to start businesses beside schooling.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the event witnessed presentations, discussions on potentialities development, available acquisition centers, markets and supports.