Day NTDC empowered 52 FCT youth

By Ibrahim Ramalan

Recently, 52 youth that comprises men and women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were billed to undergo an intensive vocational training and empowerment programme by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

The skills lined up for the 2-week skills empowerment training programme tagged: “NTDC Maiden Skill Acquisition and Empowerment Programme are; bead making, tie and dye, furniture making, local weaving, hair dressing, hat making, soap and izal making, Gele tying, and catering services.
The flag-off, which took place at Tourism Village in the corporation’s
head office, Abuja, had in attendance a representative of the Honourable Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Patricia Narai, all the Culture and Tourism parastatals under the Ministry of Information and Culture and the participants were drawn from across schools in the FCT.

While declaring the programme open, the Acting Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Mariel Rae-Omoh said the initiative was aimed at facilitating and providing small scale tourism enterprises opportunities to grow and for employment generation, adding, “NTDC has keyed into the change agenda of the present government, especially that diversification light is being beamed on the Tourism Industry.”
In her speech while expressing gratitude, she said “I am excited at playing host to the Corporation’s Sister-Parastatals and other key players in the tourism sector.

Your honouring our invitation to this occasion in spite of your numerous schedules is a demonstration of your commitment towards strengthening the unity that has bereaved the sector for long”
Rae-Omoh added: “This programme provides an opportunity for youth,
women or the unemployed to be empowered for self reliance. Please note that tourism sector is Nigeria’s hidden treasure as it provides huge and endless opportunities to earn income through small scale business enterprises.”

She further said that in spite of the challenges the Corporation is facing with regards to the weak legal framework, “NTDC is determined to take the industry to the next level”. “The Corporation will continue to play its role as the promoter, facilitator and coordinator of all Tourism and Hospitality establishments in the country. In our role as a unifier therefore, we shall be creating the enabling environment for tourism activities to thrive in Nigeria”.

Meanwhile, the NTDC Boss recalled that the Corporation’s premises in 2003-2005, had only two to three women selling food under a tree for three to four hours daily. When NTDC saw the potentials, the structures behind the billboards were erected with a total of nine shops.
Besides empowering six to seven additional women, each food vendor now employs the services of between three to six youths, while services now last till 5.00 pm daily.
She therefore sought for the supports of sister agencies to ensure
tourism in Nigeria takes its rightful place.

“Now that the country is face-to-face with dwindling oil revenue, the urgency of the looking elsewhere cannot be over-emphasized and tourism sector provides a preferred option. The sector, therefore requires a strong and concerted political will to the sector together for a streamlined focus that would produce the right result,” the Ag. DG appealed.

The President of the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), Mr. Tomi Akingbogun said the importance of skills acquisition in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized, explaining that “it is imperative to diversify our economy, and as well encourage, the youth to embrace self-employment through skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, self-reliance and financial empowerment”,
Also speaking, Miss Tourism Nigeria 2016, Ogenna Ekwubiri Walter, said that tourism-inclined businesses should be at the centre of government’s attention in view of the dwindling oil revenue.

Walter added “For me, nothing beats skills acquisition, because with a skill, one is entirely empowered mentally, physically and financially. With a skill one can be an employer of labour and get oneself out of the loopholes of poverty. It will also make a positive impact on the nation’s GDP”.

One of the beneficiaries of the empowerment programme, Habib Salitu, who wanted to undergo training on furniture-making, expressed his appreciation to the leadership of NTDC for coming up with the initiative.
“I want to use the opportunity to change my life and I will put my best in the training. After the training, I will be able to train and empower other people”, he said.

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