Mr. Azeez Abidoye, a participant of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) training of 100 youth in the modern methods of plumbing and its application, selected from Ibadan North Central Constituency has said that the training is the best approach to addressing poverty and unemployment in Nigeria.
The five days training that is taking place at the Carlton Gate Xclusive Hotel in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo state commenced on Monday the 26th day of September 2022.
Speaking to MAWA Foundation team that attended the training as a civil society independent observe, Abidoye said the training is one of the sure ways for the Nigerian state to address poverty and unemployment.
According to him, the training will provide skill and capacity for the plumbers to deliver quality service and positions them to compete with their counterpart globally.
He, however, pointed out, the equipment that will be distributed to participants after the training will make their job easy and enable them to provide globally accepted service. He added that the skill set and support they will get from the training will make it possible for them to expand their business and employ more apprentices.
Azeez disclosed that hiring and training more apprentices will no doubt contribute to job creation and poverty reduction. This is even as he appealed to the government to ensure this kind of initiative is supported and sustained.
And, in that way, the skill gap among a large population of youth which is the main factor for unemployment and poverty will be addressed.
This is even as he linked the insecurity in Nigeria to poverty and unemployment while urging the government to invest more in training that addresses the skill gap. He argues that when that happens, the youth who engage in crime as a result of unemployment will have jobs, earn income and become useful to society.
Video: Beneficiary of NASENI Ibadan training speaks to MAWA Foundation, says skill acquisition is the only way to address Nigeria’s unemployment problem.