The African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development, in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Government, has commenced its second batch of skill acquisition training programme, which is expected to benefit 100 widows, youths and vulnerable people from across the 13 local government areas of the state.
The Nasarawa State Coordinator of AUDA-NEPAD, Mohammed Sameel, made the disclosure during the opening ceremony of the training on Tuesday in Lafia, the state capital.
He explained that the training, which is expected to last for six weeks, would give opportunity to the beneficiaries to acquire skills ranging from Information and Communication Technology, Baking and Pastries, Tailoring, Aluminium fabrication, Arc-welding, Domestic Electrical Installation, Barbing, Hair dressing, among others.
According to the state coordinator, the idea behind establishing AUDA-NEPAD was to make sure that Africa as a continent can stand boldly and compare itself with any other continent in the world, as it aims to continue to empower Africans with relevant skills and other forms of support to improve their livelihoods.
Sameel said, “For the first batch, we slated 100 people to be trained. But incidentally, I think about 95 attended, which is about 95 per cent. And I think that even in exams, when we have 95 per cent, it is an ‘A’. So, we are also training the second batch of 100.
“Those of them who perform very well during the training, we may decide to take their names and then make a case for the state to come in and support them in their future endeavours.”
While congratulating the beneficiaries on being selected to partake in the training, Sameel noted that the reason for the training was to enable them to establish their own businesses in the future and become employers of labour.
He further thanked the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, and the Executive Director of the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technology Institute, Lafia, Daniel Asele, for their commitment towards empowering the widows, youths and vulnerable with useful skills to make them relevant in society.
“Trainees who are not punctual during the six-week programme would not be allowed to graduate. A team has been set up to monitor and evaluate the beneficiaries and their activities during the programme,” he added.
In his speech, the ED of the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technology Institute, Lafia, Daniel Asele, said the six-week training programme was organised by AUDA-NEPAD in order to ensure that widows and vulnerable people in the state get the needed skills to improve their livelihoods.
Online in October AUDA-NEPAD, in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Government, trained no fewer than 200 youth, widows and vulnerable people in various skill acquisition programmes.