No fewer than 135 youths at the weekend graduated from a two-week intensive skills acquisition training at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi in Lagos.
The training, which was facilitated by the Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, was aimed at reducing unemployment and by extension insecurity.
Beneficiaries of the training were drawn from Benson’s constituency in Ikorodu and were camped at NAFRC where they were taught various entrepreneurship skills including photography, cosmetics/soap making, baking and confectionary, paint production, car spraying and agriculture.
Tthe lawmaker said this was the third batch to have benefitted from the programme under the ICARE Foundation which he founded in 2019.
He said empowering youths with requisite skills for self sustenance would reduce the insecurity index in the country in the nearest future,
“Today, you have achieved an important breakthrough in your quest to be fruitful and productive in support of national development. This graduation is important to me as it marks the third graduation on skill acquisition powered by NAFRC in conjunction with the ICARE FOUNDATION.
“The tight schedule of your training is aimed at making you gain considerably within the short period earmarked for your training,” he said.
The lawmaker urged the beneficiaries to device new ways of tackling unemployment and absence of jobs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the skills they acquired was to give them a competitive edge in the open market.
“Therefore, you must all keep in mind the aim of the training you have acquired and continue to develop your entrepreneurial skills to fully optimise the knowledge gained,” he said.
“I, therefore, urge you all to be bold, courageous, focus, financially disciplined and above all, beware of criminals in all your business engagements.
“It is our expectation that you will continue to bring positive feedback as you exploit the numerous entrepreneurial space for the future of our dear nation.
“In fact, it is our hope that the gap between skills requirements and the labour market needs will no longer be an issue in our dear country,” he said.
Commending NAFRC for the quality service the beneficiaries were exposed to, Benson said there was need for discharging civil servants to be sent to the centre for the acquisition of useful skills that would make them financially independent in retirement.
In his remarks, NAFRC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal (AVM), Idi Lubo, said the centre would continue to exploit ways to enhance the process of teaching,learning in order to produce better citizens for the development of a greater nation.
The Nation reports that Lubo was represented by the Deputy Commandant, Maj.-Gen. Sunday Igbinomwanhia.
He urged the beneficiaries to put the skills to good use and ensure they remained good ambassadors of NAFRC in their various communities.