The Nigerian Government owned Technology Incubation Centre has trained more than 36 thousand youths on different vocational skills in Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
The Officer-in-Charge of the centre, Mr. Victor Ironbar said that the youths, which were drawn from across the 18 local government areas in Cross River between 2020 and 2021 were exposed to practical and theoretical aspects of the trade selected.
Ironbar, who was speaking to a gathering of heads of federal establishments in Calabar, disclosed that the Nigerian Government equipped the centre and allows trainees to utilize the facilities free of charge.
He said: “We trained about 36,000 youths in 2020 and for this year we only trained 500 youths to become entrepreneurs. These youths, who come from all the 18 local government areas, learned to make products ranging from fascinators, acoustic sound production, soaps, custard, Palm Kernel Oil, wall paints and much more.”
Training for retirement
According to Ironbar, the incubation centre also provide training for civil and public servants especially those nearing retirements to enable them establish businesses that would provide employment for others and at the same time improve their standard of living after retirement.
He explained, “what we do at the centre is train people to provide services and products that people need. Apart from that, we teach our trainees how to market their products. In fact, we have held many, who have passed through our centre market their product.
“The Technology incubation centre provides the technical, managerial, marketing and other services to our trainees. We are using this opportunity to urge civil and public servants in the local, state and federal government employ to take advantage of our services. Our registration process is simple and affordable and like I earlier stated, our facilities are free for them to use,” Ironbar stressed.
He further said, “gaining knowledge is better than any financial gain. When you have the skill, the person can establish a small or medium scale business and in the next three years become an employer of labour.
“Anyone who thinks such knowledge was not relevant would stay home and rot away. But, when a person develops a skill and the is able to invest the little bit of his retirement money into a business, such one is creating wealth, generating revenue for the government and at the same time putting food on the table,” he added.
