By Kazeem Akolawole
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has empowered 100 youths in Kwara State in accordance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives to upscale the skills of youths to create employment opportunities and self-reliance.
A total of 1100 youths were trained nationwide in various vocations ranging from electrical installations and maintenance, modern auto mechanics and diagnostics, solar installations and maintenance, modern tailoring, and installations of plaster of Paris, or POP, in previous similar exercises carried out by NASENI in eleven States of the Federation.
The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NASENI, Dr. Bashir Gwandu, at the closing ceremony of the five-day training in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, commended the president for his vision to directly impact youths through the NASENI Skill Development Programme, which started in the middle of 2022 and was intended to be finished before the end of the President Buhari Administration.
Gwandu said: “Modern Methods of Electrical Installations and Maintenance and Skill development workshop was significant because it marked the second of its kind in the North Central Geo-Political Zone by NASENI, and it was part of the series of directives from His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to NASENI to build the capacity of young people in Modern Electrical Installations and Maintenance amongst other vocations and professions.”
He explained that the aim is to ensure that Nigeria teeming youths develop modern skills in electrical installations and maintenance required for the creation of jobs and self-employment generation
“The efforts by the President and support by the Chief of Staff had helped NASENI in bringing innovation and infusion of science and engineering in different sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The Chief of Staff to President, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, represented by Engr. Yahya Alapansanpa, Chairman, Governing Board, of Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), said the concern of the Buhari Administration was to build the capacity of youths and to empower them mentally and skills upgrade as a way of preparing g the youths for the future.
“The policy of the Federal Government is to increase the capacity and competence of the youths and the country’s workforce to be able to compete with their contemporaries within and outside the country. The Chief of Staff urged participants to use the modern tools not to only empower themselves but also to become successful entrepreneurs in electrical installations and maintenance and beyond.
