The National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) on Monday said it plans to train nomadic youths in different skills.
The Commission said the training would reduce their involvement in banditry, kidnapping, rape, cattle rustling, and other social vices.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Bashir Usman, spoke in Abuja on Monday during the workshop on the development of the training manual on various skills.
The training is targeted at nomadic youths from pastoralist, migrant and fisherfolk communities.
The skills include cattle and dairy production and processing, sheep and goats production, tailoring, cosmetology, beekeeping and honey processing, and fish farming amongst others.
Speaking on the essence of the training, he said: “It is a known fact that fingers are being pointed at these nomadic youths for some of the insecurities that are taking place in this country particularly; cattle rustling, banditry, rape, kidnappings, and so many other things.
“We had to initially go out to find out the reason for their engagement in social vices and we discovered that a lot of them do not have things to do and they are not educated in terms of paper qualification.
“The commission interacted with their parents, communities, and their leaders. Based on this, we felt that the only alternative is to give them some skills so they can get some livelihood.
“The commission’s initiative of empowering the youths through skill acquisition can go a long way in reducing poverty percentage in many rural societies, reduce restiveness, raping, kidnapping, piracy and incessant conflicts leading to wanton destruction of lives and properties.”
On what the manual would contain, Usman said: “The manual will involve sketches, diagrams and it will not contain a lot of English language.
“It will be very basic so that whether we are there or not, they can practice what is in the manual.”
Head of Department, Social Mobilisation and Women Development of the Commission, Prof Fidelis Idoko, also said the manual and the training will make the nomadic youths distance themselves from social vices.
He said: “Every human wants a dignified living. A lot of nomads have either been the victims of the current insurgency or are actors in it.
“For those that are actors, if we give them the skill, we are invariably removing them from such social vices.
“So, the commission wants to give them skills for a meaningful living and that way, they won’t be part of the bad eggs.
“The major thing is to have a tailor-made manual whereby they can do the skill on their own.
“If they can develop the skill in a business-like manner and earn a living, they will not be able to condescend to the social vices that many of them are known for.
“It will transform them.”
