By Abdullahi Muhammad
In order to check crime, Total Nigeria PLC in partnership with Aids for Women Children and Adolescent International Organisation (AWACIO) has empowered no fewer than 50 women and youths in different skills acquisition programmes in Gosa community.
Executive General Manager, Cooperate Social Responsibility Total Nigeria, Mr. Vincent Nnadi, who disclosed this at the graduation programme of the youth in Gosa community, stressed that skills acquisition remain the bedrock to get the country out of recession.
According to him, white-collar jobs are no longer available; hence the need for youth to continue to acquire skills so as to sustain themselves and also contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He disclosed that though about 50 people were trained, 31 entrepreneurs were being graduated after undergoing livelihood trainings in tailoring, tiling, hair dressing, cable and CCTV installation, catering and pastry making.
Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of AWACIO, Dr Claudia Okeke, disclosed that the trainers went through six weeks intensive training in an effort to support them and to enable them to impact on their community.
“This training programme is a conscious effort by Total and AWACIO to ensure that the youths acquire skills and also pass it on to other members of the community so that a larger number of people in the community would be self sustaining,” she said. She said their intention was to transform any community they intervened in making as many of the youth self-sustaining, adding that “this will help reduce crimes and militancy in the country.”
Blueprint reports that the participants were presented with equipment such as tailoring machine, head dryers, locally made baking ovens, tiling instrument, and CCTV installation equipment.
A beneficiary, Dele Momoh Jimoh, however, complained how he was finding it difficult to feed himself as he had to depend on his brothers to feed. He said after being trained on how to install CCTV and DSTV, he would be able to sustain himself and also help others.
