NEPAD Nigeria to empower youths with skills
NAN-H-68
Youths
By Lizzy Okoji
Abuja, Feb. 27, 2017 (NAN) The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD says it will empower youths with various skills to make them self reliant and responsible citizens.
To achieve this, NEPAD said it would begin the implementation of skills initiative programmes to create and improve job opportunities for youths in Nigeria and Africa.
Princess Gloria Akobundu, the National Coordinator, NEPAD Nigeria, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
She said the initiative was in line with the commitments of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the government of Germany on youth empowerment.
The coordinator said following the selection of Nigeria as one of the implementing countries, a financing facility has been established for the programme’s office in Nigeria.
Akobundu said that in order to facilitate the inception of the programme in Nigeria, a technical consultative mission would be in Nigeria from Feb. 28 to March 1, to officially launch the programme.
She said that the core theme of the mission would be to discuss on the development cooperation on skills initiative for Africa.
According to her, the two-day working visit aims at informing both the private and public sector about the skills initiative for Africa’s programme with associated opportunities and potential contributions to national economy.
“The programme would also identify synergies on other youth unemployment interventions in the country that could be aligned with existing bilateral and regional projects.
“It would sensitise and engage with key actors in the areas of youth employment, programmes on skills initiative as well as explore possibilities to apply for funding from the financing facility.
“They would also consult with the key stakeholders on best practices and approaches for establishing a Continental Dialogue Platform on Technical vocational Education and Training (TVET),’’ Akobundu said.
She said that that as a developmental arm of the AUC, NEPAD Nigeria and NEPAD are committed to the successful implementation of the programme to create diverse opportunity for Nigerian youths.
The coordinator explained that the initiative would also create a platform for that more young people would be able receive training and pursue a career. (NAN)
LIZ/BOLA/MST
Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Muhammad Suleiman Tola