The International Centre for Migration Policy Development, (ICMPD) is partnering with the Gabriel Okoye University in Nigeria, to train 5000 Nigerian youths on skill acquisition to curb the rate of migration in the country.
The Programs Assistant for ICMPD Mr Joseph Okafor who stated this during a press briefing in Abuja said that; “Nigerian Youths are hardworking people who only need to be guided rightly to thrive in their chosen profession.
“ICMPD is collaborating with Gabriel Okoye’s University to fill the gap that has been created, this exercise would focus on training Nigerian youths to get the requisite skills they need to be able to do well anywhere in the world. The project would also focus on training the youths to the level where they can stand on their own and be able to compete with their counterparts from any part of the world, it is a pathway to gaining skilful employment anywhere in the world.”
According to Mr Okoye, the training process would be a continuous one and that, this is the first time the ICMPD is collaborating with a Nigerian University to run such a project.
“The training became very necessary because it makes no sense to get expatriate to do the jobs that Nigerians would be able to do if given the right training that would help them to compete well anywhere in the world.“
The Vice-Chancellor of Godfrey Okoye University, Professor Christian Aneke lamented that; “The level of migration by Nigerian youths is worrisome, this is the reason the Centre for practical skills acquisition is to be sited at the University by the European team
“About 150 youths across the country would be engaged in the skill acquisition training, beginning from November 18 2021 and the number would be called up to 5,000 eventually.“
Prof Okoye added that;“About 10 different European companies have signified interest in the project and the University is looking forward to getting 20 more European companies involved, and the goal is to make doing business in Nigeria easy for the companies.“
A visiting Professor to the Institution, Professor Armstrong Idachaba described the partnership between Gabriel Okoye University and the ICMPD as very significant as it would; “Help to come up with an intervention that is unique with the intention of not just building capacity, but also transferring technology to mitigate the high incidence of migration and also create employment, entrepreneurship and also develop intellectual capacity for the youths.“
ICPMD is the implementing partner together with Deutsohe Gesellsohaft for Internationale Zusammenarbelt GIZ
ICMPD is an international organization with a diplomatic mission in Nigeria, working together with Godfrey Okoye University and Austrian private sector partners, to attract European investors and create employment opportunities for Nigerian youths thereby tackling some of the root causes of migration.
The official ground breaking ceremony of the skills acquisition program would take place on November 18, 2021, at the Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu.
PIAK
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