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NEPAD decries nonchalant attitude of Nigerian youths toward developmental issues

NAN-H-80
NEPAD
Minna, April 13, 2017 (NAN) The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), has decried the “nonchalant attitude of Nigerian youths towards developmental issues in the continent”.

Princess Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD Nigeria, expressed the view on Thursday, when she paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Bello.

Akobundu called on youths in the country to compete favourably with their counterparts in other African countries, saying that the opportunities were massive and should be fully explored.

She advised Nigerian youths to get involved and participate in both national and international events.

“It is time to get serious; Nigerian youths must be serious because the leadership of this country will one day get into their hands.

“How will they approach the leadership of the country if they failed to get involved now?”, she asked.

She explained that Africa would be a better place if the youths took advantage of the numerous opportunities that abound on the continent.

“There are small loans to start up something. Identify the right agencies, go there and ask questions.

“At NEPAD, our doors are always opened. We will direct and help you because you are our future,” he added.

In his response, Governor Bello said that the state had outlined activities and programmes targeted at reducing extreme poverty, and ensuring good governance.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Ibrahim Ladan, said that the administration had embarked on programmes that would keep youths engaged so as to reduce youth restiveness.

Also speaking, NEPAD Director General in Niger, Mr Abdullahi Ketso, said that NEPAD would train 2,000 youths from the 25 Local Governments, in various skills. (NAN)
AMEN/ETS

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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin

General news

NEPAD’s Skill Programme: Stakeholders recommend agriculture projects

NEPAD’s Skill Programme: Stakeholders recommend agriculture projects

NAN-H-108

Projects

By Cecilia Ologunagba

Abuja, March 1, 2017 (NAN) Stakeholders at the two-day workshop on the Skills Initiative for Africa programme have advised NEPAD to focus on addressing skill gap by implementing agriculture projects in the country.

The stakeholders gave the recommendation in a communiqué read by Dr Iyk Oji, Special Adviser to the National Coordinator of NEPAD Nigeria, Mrs Gloria Akobundu, at the end of the workshop on Wednesday in Abuja.

They urged the initiative to address skill gaps in the area of agro-processing, poultry production and agriculture value chain in line with the current administration’s change agenda on economic diversification.

They said it should also address skill gap in vocational skills like welding and mechanics, among others, in the six geo-political zones.

“NEPAD Nigeria shall serve as the facilitator for accessing funding window for beneficiary organisations in Nigeria.

“The timeline for the submission of proposals for the first funding window of May 30, 2017, was noted.

“It was noted and the urgent need to put in place the necessary mechanisms for the coordination of the Skills Initiative for Africa,’’ the communiqué read in part.

They also suggested that the implementation of the initiative should be inclusive through a bottom-up approach to accommodate diversity and the six geo-political zones in the country.

The stakeholders said that NEPAD Nigeria should play a major role in the coordination of the Skills Initiative for Africa, sensitisation on the programme and be part of the selection of the projects.

They said Nigeria should be part of the selection of the projects to be funded by the Investment Committee in Continental Office in South Africa as well as monitoring of the implementation of the programme.

In addition, the stakeholders noted that one of the priority areas of NEPAD was to create gainful employment for the unemployed/under-employed persons in the continent.

They noted that Africa was faced with high rate of unemployment, which has been linked to low productivity, poor industrialisation, poverty and restiveness among the teeming youths.

“In this regard, skills development was identified as a tool to tackle skills deficit and mismatch.

“The meeting noted curricular review and update should start from the basic level.

“One of the programmes identified to tackle the skills gap in Africa is the Skills Initiative for Africa programme.’’

In addition, they noted that the programme aimed at raising the continent’s overall capacity and ability to create new employment and economic opportunities for Africa’s young populations and women.

They also noted that it would offer opportunities to the youth to build desired skill capabilities and enhance their employability into a globally competitive and rapidly modernising labour market and entrepreneurship ventures.

The stakeholders observed that the aim of the meeting was to inform the private, public sectors and civil society organisations (CSOs) about Skills Initiative for Africa programme and its associated opportunities as well as potential contributions to the national economy.

It was observed that the workshop was organised to identify synergies on other youth employment interventions in the country that could be aligned with existing bilateral programmes.

Besides, they observed that the workshop was organised to consult with the key stakeholders on best practices and approaches for establishing Continental Dialogue Platform on Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the TVET was put together by African Union Commission, NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency and the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.

NEPAD is the socio-economic flagship programme of the African Union for the development of the African Continent.

NAN also reports that no fewer than 200 participants attended the workshop, organised by NEPAD Nigeria in collaboration with NEPAD Continental Office in South Africa. (NAN)

CIA/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Employ skilled youths, NEPAD tasks private sector

Employ skilled youths, NEPAD tasks private sector

NAN-H-105

Employment

By Lizzy Okoji

Abuja, March 1, 2017 (NAN) Mrs Gloria Akobundu, the National Coordinator, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), has called on the private sector to employ beneficiaries of its skills acquisition training.

She made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to her, NEPAD Nigeria is making plans to give the data of youths who have passed through its skills training programmes to private companies and investors in Nigeria for job opportunities.

“We are planning to partner with the private sector, the Chambers of Commerce, to come up with a programme where we will give the data of all the trained youths to private sectors and investors in Nigeria.

“This is for them to make available job opportunities at their various companies so that the youths are not just trained and go back home to sit idle.

“That has been the challenge of other training programmes when youths are trained and left on their own.

“We want to make our youths employable because the complaint by most private sectors and investors are that Nigerian Youths are not employable which is why they would rather import their own labour.

“That is why we want to embark on this skills training which could also be likened to the finishing school, because even when you graduate, you still go for training to fine tune yourself.

“ We are targeting as much youths as we can to benefit from this programme and who would have access to starting funds and starter kits to become self-reliant,’’ Akobundu said.

She explained that the training also aimed at making the beneficiaries employers of labour so that after acquiring the skills they can employ others and also retrain them.

She disclosed that a mentorship programme has been designed by NEPAD Nigeria to monitor the beneficiaries after they have been facilitated with funds and starter kits.

The coordinator said the mentorship department would do a regular follow up on beneficiaries, pay them surprise visits to ensure that they are actually utilising the funds and starter kits.

Akobundu pointed out that one major challenge is the fact that after most capacity building trainings, beneficiaries misuse the funds and kits, and return to becoming a burden to the society.

She therefore called for collaboration with the Ministry of Youths and Sports so that they would be able to track and monitor the activities of the beneficiaries with their data with a view to addressing these challenges.

Besides, she said that the first phase of the training initiative might not capture the entire youths of Nigeria but it hopes to accommodate as many youths as possible in its expanded programme. (NAN)

LIZ/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Media coverage excites NEPAD

Media coverage excites NEPAD

NAN-H-65

Media

Abuja, March 1, 2017 (NAN) The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) has expressed satisfaction with the media coverage of its two-day Stakeholders Meeting on Skills Initiative for Africa  in Abuja.

NEPAD’s appreciation was conveyed by Princess Gloria Akobundu, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer, NEPAD Nigeria, in her vote of thanks on Wednesday in Abuja.

Akobundu noted that there was low public awareness on the activities of NEPAD, hence her resolve to raise public enlightenment through the media and nationwide advocacy.

She therefore hinted that NEPAD would engage the media vigorously to scale up its visibility and educate Nigerians on its mandate.

The coordinator also disclosed that NEPAD would invest 35 million euros in media and Information Communication Technology (ICT) based approach to skill development and regional/continental skill competition, among others.

She added that the fund would also be spent on youth empowerment and skill development in five African countries, including Nigeria within a period of three years.

Other benefitting countries are Tunisia, South Africa, Algeria and Republic of Cameroon.

According to her, the fund will be invested on the construction of facilities, rehabilitation and extension of facilities, purchase of workshop equipment and entrepreneurship/mentorship programmes.

Among those eligible to apply for the fund are people from skill development institutions, vocational institutions, technology-based institutions, apprenticeship training centres and NGOs.

She also appreciated NEPAD Continental, African Union Commission (AUC) and German Government for their commitment toward bridging the skill gap in Nigeria.

“I deeply appreciate the media; they have been great and immensely useful in the coverage of this meeting.

“For three days, they have been working round the clock to ensure the programme is well publicised.

“To the German Cooperation, we are highly grateful; take the message to your government, whatever money you bring into Nigeria for this initiative will be judiciously used,’’ she said.

The coordinator said a NEPAD team would embark on an awareness tour to all states of the federation soon.

Akobundu said that the aim of the media engagement and national tour to re-launch NEPAD programmes in Nigeria and take its mandate to the door step of those at the grassroots.

According to her, this will help reintegrate the States and Local Governments into the numerous programmes of the government, NEPAD Continental and the African Union Commission (AUC) to be implemented by NEPAD Nigeria.

She said the programme would also work with relevant government agencies and development partners in facilitating NEPAD projects. (NAN)

CJ/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

NEPAD Coordinator to embark on advocacy to states

NEPAD Coordinator to embark on advocacy to states

NAN-H-61

Awareness

By Lizzy Okoji

Abuja, March 1, 2017 (NAN) Mrs Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), says she will embark on an awareness tour to all states of the federation this month.

She made this known on Wednesday in Abuja at two-day Development Cooperation Skills Initiative Training workshop for youth empowerment organised by NEPAD Nigeria and NEPAD Continental.

Akobundu said that the aim of the tour is to re-launch NEPAD programmes in Nigeria and take its mandate to the door step of those at the grassroots.

According to her, this will help reintegrate the States and Local Governments into the numerous programmes of the government, NEPAD Continental and the African Union Commission (AUC) to be implemented by NEPAD Nigeria.

She said the programme would also work with relevant government agencies and development partners in facilitating NEPAD projects.

“The mandates of NEPAD are very clear and it is very important to sensitise those in the states and local governments of our various programmes and take them along.

“We have dispatched letters to all the State Governments on the days we are visiting so that they can invite stakeholders, the youths and women from the local governments to be sensitised.

“This would help bridge the gaps, create synergy of NEPAD programmes across the tiers of government and work hand in hand with our target groups,’’ Akobundu said.

However, she called on state governments to identify with the National programmes of NEPAD and let the national office know the areas they need support.

She urged participants and prospective beneficiaries to make the best of the trainings, key into relevant vocations and work develop themselves.

Akobundu said the target of NEPAD in addition to vocational skills acquisitions for youths is also to produce employable youths in the country. (NAN)

LIZ/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Education Ministry to partner NEPAD on technical training

Education Ministry to partner NEPAD on technical training

NAN-H-59

Training

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

Abuja, March 1, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Ministry of Education says it is committed to partnering with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) on providing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, made the pledge in a goodwill message at a Stakeholders Meeting on Skills Initiative for Africa on Wednesday in Abuja.

The two-day event is organised by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

Represented by Mrs  Khadijat Liman, the Project Coordinator, NEPAD and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in the ministry, Adamu said that the ministry would identify with programmes aimed at empowering the youths.

“For us in education, we are part of every intervention and activity that will lead in getting our young ones out of the streets and make them productive.

“The relationship between Federal Ministry of Education and NEPAD has been a very long standing one and this time around, we will consolidate on it.

“In the spirit of Vision 3030 which is – leaving no one behind – with education having goal 4, the relationship with NEPAD is going to be a robust one.

“With education for the young ones, nothing much will be achieved,’’ she said.

According to her, there is need for more interventions and activities towards inclusive education and better learning outcome for the citizens especially the young ones.

She said that the ministry was ready to commit to whatever activity NEPAD wanted to partner with it.

Liman added that the challenges in the North East region would not have risen if the young ones there had something doing.

Earlier, Mrs Gloria Akobundu, the National Coordinator, NEPAD Nigeria, said the agency would empower youths with various skills to make them self-reliant.

She said that NEPAD would begin the implementation of skills initiative programmes to create and improve job opportunities for youths in Nigeria and Africa.

Akobundu said the initiative was in line with the commitment of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the government of Germany on youth empowerment. (NAN)

CJ/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

NEPAD Nigeria to empower youths with skills

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