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 programme in Gosa Community.
The Executive General Manager, Cooperate Social Responsibility Total Nigeria, Mr. Vincent Nnadi, during the graduation programme of the youth in the community, stressed those skills acquisition remained 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 to contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“The era of white collar job is gone and it has become increasing necessary to move from seeking office work to gainful self employment in our chosen vocations; we believe that this approach is sustainable and geared towards reducing unemployment in the shortest time possible.
He disclosed that though 50 people were trained, 31 entrepreneurs were being graduated after undergoing livelihood training in tailoring, tiling, hair dressing, cable and CCTV installation, catering and pastry making.
The Chief Executive Officer of AWACIO, Dr Claudia Okeke, in her remarks, disclosed that the trainers went through six weeks intensive training in an effort to support them and to enable them to impact their community.
“This training programme is a conscious effort by Total and AWACIO to ensure that the youth acquire skills and also pass it on to other members of the community so that a larger number of people in the community would become self-sustaining,” she said.
She further disclosed that AWACIO had been supporting youths and women in different communities in the FCT for the past six years, adding that they had worked in Abaji, Kwali and Bwari area councils.
“There are still plans to scale up interventions to as many communities as possible so as to curb crime in the society. The intention is to transform any community we intervene in making as many of the youth in the community self-sustaining.”
The participants were presented with equipment such as tailoring machines, head dryers, locally made baking ovens, tiling instrument, and CCTV installation equipment.
A beneficiary of the acquisition programme, Dele Momoh Jimoh, lamented that 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.
