From Teryima Ajijah, Jos
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has commenced training of over 300 youth from the North Central geo-political zone in: Voice Acting, Script Writing, Animation, Graphic Design and Post Production among other skills to become self reliant.
The training, which is holding at the University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State is for a period of three months.
A press release issued by the Deputy Director Information and Publication of the university, Abdullahi Abdullahi, on Tuesday, informed that the training is to tackle unemployment and redundancy among youths in the region.
It assured that participants shall be issued certificates, as well as starter packs to establish their businesses at the end of the training.
The release partly read: “The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has flagged off a three-month intensive training for youths across the North-Central States in Nigeria.
“The in-house training is holding at the University of Jos Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies and is an initiative of the National Social Investment Programme to provide youths the opportunity to be self-reliant through the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) techniques, thereby preparing them to help out in their various communities.”
Speaking on behalf of Management of the University of Jos, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Rahila Gowon, represented by the Deputy Dean, Student Affairs, Dr Yusuf Abdullahi said the university is happy to host the training as it is properly equipped with the facilities and the skilled manpower to conduct the workshop.
Prof.Gowon said the university looks forward to having more collaborative activities with other government agencies, towards strengthening community relations and promoting Nigerian unity.
Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies, University of Jos, Prof. Bonaventure Haruna advised the participants to utilize the opportunity of being self-sufficient by acquiring the relevant skills that will help promote national development.
Prof. Haruna further encouraged them to be in the vanguard of creating a new generation of entrepreneurs that will build on the developmental strides of great Nigerian heroes, while also seizing the opportunity provided by the training to establish a meaningful network of business persons.
North Central Project Manager of A.S. Hassan Investment Limited, which is the consulting firm handling the training and a subsidiary of Na Mangya Bawa Nigeria Limited, Silas Enefola, appreciated the warm hospitality accorded them by the university and expressed the hope that the relationship will wax stronger.
He said the N-Creative programme is aimed at exposing the participants to the ICT world where they can develop their talents in voice acting, script writing, animation, graphic design, post production, illustrations and build their entrepreneurship skills.
Enefola added that the initiative will help in combating crime and criminality among idle minds in the youthful population and also a way of reducing unemployment in Nigeria.
He said participants will be issued certificates, as well as starter packs to establish their businesses at the end of the training, while they will be closely monitored to ensure that they put their training to proper use.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Rose Igwe from Benue State appreciated the federal government for availing them the opportunity of being exposed to the new trends in the media world.
