Sequel to the commitment on youth empowerment, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State in south-south Nigeria has formally opened the Construction and Fabrication Academy of West Africa.
Located in the capital city of Calabar, the academy run by specialist trainers from across Africa, Canada and Europe, will offer to young people courses in welding and fabrication, masonry, carpentry, plumbing electrical installation, catering, fashion designing, shoemaking and more.
Skills training
Governor Ayade, in a brief remark, said the Cross River Government was investing 400 million to establish the academy for the training of young Nigerian and Africans in general.
He said, “today, those who become millionaires are people with skills. Gone are the days when people depended solely on salaries. You will all agree with me that people with skills do not lack work. So, I encourage you whether you have university degrees or not, enroll in the academy and get a skill.”
According to the governor, the decision to establish the academy was also to provide opportunity for talented Cross River youths to develop skills, hinting “when we were building our CalaChika factory, I was surprised to see that the tiler was sourced from the Republic of Togo, another from Lagos and from other places, but Cross River. It was concerning.”
“so, I expect that young Cross River people will take advantage of this and make a living for themselves. I commend our youths for staying off a life of crime yet it is my desire to see many acquire skills that would not only transform their lives, but positively impact society,” explained Ayade.
He urged the Nigerian Government to support the academy, while appealing to young Nigerians to desist from migrating to Europe and instead take advantage of the centre and acquire money spinning skills.
Making a difference
In a brief remark, Mr. John Obo, the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria commended Governor Ayade for establishing the academy, which he noted would place skilled young people at par with their counterparts elsewhere in the world.
Boo said, “the best way to go for the next generation is what you are putting in place. I assure you that since this academy has an in take of 500 hundred students already, the forms were distributed at the grassroots.”
He further assured that young people, especially the Cross River youths, would be engaged in the training centre to make the difference needed for a better life.
Building capacity
Earlier, Signor Omang Idiege, the Commissioner Ministry of Youth Development and Skill Acquisition, said that the people trained at the academy would be expected to impact positively on national socio-economic development.
Idiege stated, “this academy will train youths with skills that would reduce the threats of insecurity, free youths and their families from poverty, hunger, deprivation and ignorance. It will also rate of unemployment, restiveness and build capacity of youths in various fields and allied businesses.”
“It will build the entrepreneurship capacity potentials and increase youth participation in value addition, support economic policies of the State Government and impact national socio-economic development,” he added.
The Construction and Fabrication Academy of West Africa has enrolled 500 students and is open to all youths irrespective of ethnic, religious and tribal nationalities.
Ime N
