By Ann Agbo
Benue and two other states have been selected as pilot states in the country to benefit from skills acquisition programme for vulnerable youth, women and persons with disabilities, within the age of 18 to 35.
This was made known recently by Team Leader, Skills for Prosperity programme (SAP-N), Miss Ekanem Bassey at a stakeholders engagement co-creation and design thinking Workshop on Skills Development and Economic Sustainability, held at Benue Metropolitan Hotel and Resort, Makurdi.
Miss Ekpo said that the skill acquisition was a two year programme, funded by the United Kingdom AID programme, which sought to facilitate transition into employment, through skill development, informed by economic and business realities with Benue, Kaduna and Lagos as the first pilot states in the country.
She also said the Sap-N was aligning with the state government to improve access, quality, relevance and equity of technical and vocational skills that would lead to increased youth workforce.
Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs Ngunan Addingi, who represented Governor Samuel Ortom at the event said, the state government was ready to partner any organization, body or agency that would see to the improvement of the lives of the people of the state.
Mrs Addingi said, in the light of engaging the youths meaningfully, the state government had organized a youth summit last year, on the way forward and at the end of the summit, a resolution was reached with a proposal for the establishment of a youth development commission, to see that they properly guided into right ventures.
She said the state government would ensure that the programme was given maximum attention for the benefit of target audience.
