NCAC trains 12, 600 youths on skill acquisition -Runsewe
NAN-ELS-7
Training
By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
Abuja, Sept. 6, 2017 (NAN) Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) says the council is planning to train over 12, 600 youths on skill acquisition across the country.
Runsewe said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the side-line of the 2017 African Arts and Craft (AFAC) Expo, on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that the aim of the training was to boost employment and enhance the living standard of Nigerians.
“We are currently training over 350 youth at our skill acquisition centre in this African Arts and Craft (AFAC) Expo here in the Federal Capital Territory.
“We are not taking a dime from anyone of them. It is free. We will give them certificates at the end of the training which will be at the end of the expo.
“We are planning that after the expo, we will source for enough resources and move into each state of the federation to do same. We will collaborate with state governments to achieve that.
“ We are going to encourage them to be self-employed,” Runsewe said.
He explained that young girls who are idle at home, could learn how to tire head gear of different styles, make soaps, bags, shoes, among others “in order to become useful to herself and her family’’.
According to Runsewe, the empowerment programme will empower Nigerians irrespective of religion, tribe or political inclination.
Meanwhile, Miss Anna Nege, a network marketer and one of the trainees at the centre told NAN that she had learn a lot from the training.
“I have learn skills like making hair of different styles, make up, weaving, liquid soap, plastic arts and rag to rug, and others ; to create wealth from waste.
“Even if I don’t make them in commercial quantity, I can make them for my personal use, thereby saving money and improving my standard of living.
“With these skills, I can be useful to myself and my family,”Nege said.
Another trainee, Wisdom Moses, a 100 level student of Medicine from University of Jos said he had learnt how to create wealth from waste.
The 18 year old undergraduate said that the training included how to paint and beautify stones, wood and other objects used for decoration.
“It can be used to beautify the offices, schools and houses.
“Most items meant for waste can be transformed to wealth. I can even sell such works to make money and assist myself in school.
“Even with the medicine Im studying, these skills will go a long way to help me and also create employment for me and other trainees,” Moses said.
One of the coordinator at the centre who spoke to NAN under the condition of anonymity said registration was on-going.
NAN reports that the NCAC skill acquisition programme at the on-going AFAC will end on Sept.17 with certificates to be issued to the participants. (NAN)
CMY/GOM/EAL
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Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Ekemini Ladejobi