UNESCO, SDGs partner on skills development for corps members

From Franca Ochigbo, Bennett Atumah and Joseph Iorakosu, Abuja

Country Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (UNESCO) Abdulsalami Ladigbolu, has said the organisation is set to encourage the intersection of fresh ideas among youths using skills development programmes through short active and interactive courses. This, he said, is also designed to expose the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to ideas and tactics involved in international business trade and enterprise. “This will at the end, expose upcoming generation to knowledge, skills, confidence and opportunity to not only be start-up giants but also compete on the international stage,” he said.

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Abdulsalami disclosed this at the joint press briefing and breakfast discourse with the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, in Abuja, stating that policy makers worldwide are now focusing on start-ups as an engine of long lasting economic growth. “The UNESCO Read and Earn Federation has also joined this movement through the creation of The August Project (TAP), and find it paramount to work with the relevant stakeholders home and abroad most especially with the Ontario Student Assistance Programme, OSAP-SDGs to re-launch the authority of originality in enterprise, encourage the intersection of fresh ideas among our youths using practical skills development programmes.

“The programme has been adapted to give Nigerian youths a competitive advantage to embed high quality business and entrepreneurship learning skills in a fun and engaging way, as it leans towards creating a generation of more knowledgeable and active entrepreneurs that could sustain the present administration economic recovery and growth plan.” Speaking, Orelope-Adefulire said the NYSC and OSAP-SDGs had previously established and supported groups of young Nigerians to serve as SDGs champion, who embark on sensitisation on the global goals at their various communities and places of primary assignments.