The federal government and the Taraba State government in the Northeast region have partnered to provide capacity building for the people of Taraba State through the Skills Acquisition Centre in the Ibi Local Government Area of the state.
The formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding marks the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment Skills and Vocational Training Centre under the Taraba State government’s administration.
Today, along with my colleague Minister of State, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyeajeocha, have started to receive briefings from the various Departments and Agencies under our Ministry. During this session, we were provided with updates by the Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations,… pic.twitter.com/vSSxp5zenM
— Simon Bako Lalong (@LalongBako) August 30, 2023
Speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Simon Lalong described skills acquisition as an engine for wealth creation and more opportunities for the absorption of the unemployed from the labour market.
The Minister commended the Taraba State government for its proactive stance on capacity building of its people.
He said that President Bola Tinubu has made it clear to his team, that he wants to take many of the unemployed youths off the street to gainful employment.
While urging other States to emulate what Taraba State has done, the Minister said that “there is nothing as important as skill acquisition because people will make use of it even when they have a certificate to become employers of labour.
“ One of the first things that attracted my attention on assumption of office is the signing of the MoU on the Skills Acquisition Centre,” he said.
Lalong then assured the people of Taraba State of the continued support of the Ministry of Labour and Employment whenever the need arises and charged the State not only to sustain their current drive on skills training but to improve the employment initiatives.
Minister of State of Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha while speaking, said that the collaborative venture with the Taraba State government on skill training is in line with the new thinking of the Tinubu-led administration to drive initiatives that will take Nigerian youths out of the streets.
“This is one of our key missions, to create employment opportunities for our teaming youths and Nigerians and I will enjoin other States to join hands with the federal government to achieve this goal”.
Earlier, the Taraba State Commission for Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation, Mr James Philip who signed on behalf of the State government, said that the government plans to train five thousand youths and women in the next three years.
“We have put in place proactive measures and effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure the smooth running of the centre.
“Our target is to train at least 5,000 skilled youths and women in the Centre in the next three years”.
Giving insight into the details of the MoU, the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs Juliana Adebambo, said the aim of the initiative “is to curb the unemployment menace and youth restiveness in the country through the establishment of Skills Centres in mostly rural areas nationwide and to encourage the acceptance of Blue-Collar Jobs over the insistence on white-collar jobs that are highly favoured by the youths.
“So far, the Borno State Government has completed the same process as the Skills Centre in Konduga is fully operational and being run by the State government.
“Furthermore, Kano, Kaduna and Edo State Governments have equally shown interest in going into this type of agreement with the Ministry”, she said.
She said that the signing of this MoU could not have come at a better time than now as “wanton restiveness” among the youths especially in that part of the Northeastern region of the country has become worrisome.
