As the country grapples with the high rate of unemployment, Nigerian youths have been asked to create opportunities for themselves by acquiring vocational skills in order to make themselves financially independent.
This was the consensus of facilitators at a vocational skill acquisition training organised by the Helpline Foundation for the Needy, as part of activities marking the UN World Youth Skills Day.
The Abuja based non-governmental organisation had put together the training for 25 indigenes in bag-making and fishery production.
Mrs Victoria Odeyemi, who facilitated the bag making session urged youths to create opportunities for themselves by acquiring skills instead of endlessly waiting for white collar jobs that are hardly available.
Odeyemi, pointed that leather works was one of the most lucrative businesses that does not require huge start-up capital and can be carried out at the comfort of their homes.
In her remarks, the President of Helpline Foundation, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, said the objective of the World Youth Skills Day was to spread awareness about technical, vocational education training, and the development of other skills relevant to both local and global economies.
Ahmadu, who was represented by Mr. Isa Mohammed, noted that the day was set out to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, entrepreneurship, as well as provision of unique opportunity for dialogue between young people, technical and vocational education and training, TVET, institutions, firms, employers and policymakers.
She identified youth unemployment as the most significant problem facing contemporary economies and societies in the world for developed and developing countries alike, saying there had been an upward trend in the number of youths not in employment, education, or training, NEET, which climbed to 273 million in 2021 above the 259 million young people who were classified as NEET in 2016.
Ahmadu said that terms of percentage, the trend was slightly up from 21.7 percent in 2015 to 22.4 percent in 2020 which implied that the international target to reduce the NEET rate by 2020 would be missed.
She tasked the participants to eschew vices and focus on building their lives for better future saying the Helpline Foundation would provide them with experts in the field that will guide and make them become the best in the field.
