The Nigerian Government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, is training 1,830 Master Crafts Persons (MCP) across the 36 States of the federation for a duration of six months.
The Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq said this in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital while closing one of the sessions of the Master Craft Persons’ training.
Represented by the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), Dr Umar Bindir, the Minister noted that the demand for the N-skills programme under the N-power programme is huge.
According to her, the MCP training is to complete the training of the N-skills beneficiaries who were carefully selected using NBTE-based criteria.
She said the National Social Investment Programme, has continued to demonstrate the multiplier effect in poverty reduction and GDP improvement in the country.
“Because it’s targeting graduates of primary school, primary school dropouts and totally uneducated people, that are massive in this country. And these people they abled, they can learn to provide technology services in construction, in productivity in repairs. So, our own strategy is to ensure that every year, at least we launch two of these programmes. Because the Programme takes a period of 6-9 months, therefore each programme will last for that long”.
“Anyone who has been trained under the Nskills, whether it is to do with automobiles repair, or smart phone or smart devices repairs or carpentry, or welding, they’ll also be given a kit to actually trigger the self-employment. So, each one of them when they go and establish their businesses, they’ll employ one or two that’s demonstrating the multiplier effect”.
According to the Minister, the strategy will solve the unemployment problem amongst the young people, generate productive employment, generate quality service providers in Nigeria at the highest level with certification that will be recognised all over the World and also ensure that the wealth potential creation of the programme and the enterprises improves the GDP of our country.
Umar Farouq further stated that due to its growing demand and effect on the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, the number of beneficiaries will be raised.
“Initially we had between 6-7 thousand, but now we’re going to blow up to between 20-40 thousand. And this is how we’re going to increase, but these are only for the direct beneficiaries. The multiplier effect is with this 6-20 thousand being trained, you probably you’ll see another 100 thousand employment generated. This is the strategy that the ancient tigers did and we’re very very sure that Nigeria will take cue of this.
“We are currently onboarding 23,991 N-Skills beneficiaries for the training on 11 trades that is: Auto-mechanic, Leatherworks and Shoe making, Smart Devices, Welding & Fabrication, Aluminum Assembly & Fabrication, Carpentry, Plumbing & Piping, Electrical Installations, Agency Banking, Tailoring & Embroidery, Baking & Cosmetology, Fish Farming and Jewelry-Making & Wire Works”, the Humanitarian Minister explained.
She further noted that the training provided the MCPs with basic knowledge and appreciation of their roles and functions to enable them participate meaningfully in the National Skills Qualifications Framework training system as well as the use of training curricular based on the National Occupational Standards in apprenticeship training.
“We are also paying a modest stipend to MCPs that are successfully on boarded and meet the requirements for consideration of NBTE certification”.
The Minister added that the Ministry is working with relevant stakeholders on formation of MCP clusters and to provide hand-holding support for strengthening MCP cluster structures and internal governance.
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