Senator Austin Akobundu has urged youths to embrace skill acquisition in order to find their footing in the changing economic realities.
He said that even with university degree certificates, youths should make it a point of duty to learn one or more skills in order to move away from being job seekers to employers of labour.
The Abia Central Senator gave the advice weekend while handing over certificates and cash incentives to over 150 youths from his constituency after completing a five-day training/empowerment programme in Umuahia. The Abia Central youths were trained in paint-making technology and cosmetology, in Umuahia.
Akobundu noted that the economic climate of present-day Nigeria required men and women who not only possess requisite skills “but are ready to use their skills to create wealth and employ others”.
He said that putting the Nigerian economy in the league of advanced economies of the world, would require highly skilled youths that would drive the nation’s growth and development.
“Some of you are educated up to university level, that’s fine; but the most important thing is for you to acquire a skill that would create for you wealth and by extension the country,” he told the youths.
The training/empowerment programme was sponsored by the Abia Central Senator in collaboration with the Centre for Management Development, Abuja. It was the ninth in series of his empowerment/training programmes since becoming Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria less than one year ago after legal battles.
The Senator explained that that he funded the workshop because skill acquisition has occupies a central position in the projects he has outlined for his constituency.
Akobundu reiterated that it remains his desire for Abia Central youths, and indeed all Abians, to become self reliant in various fields of human endeavours.
“It’s my passion to ensure that youths in this district, Abia Central Senatorial district, stand on their own as employers of labour rather than job seekers through various skill acquisition programmes,” he said.
He said that he remained committed to fulfilling his campaign promise of going beyond giving palliatives to youths and women, to train and empower them to be their oen bread winners and in turn empower others.
The Abia Central Senator tasked the beneficiaries of the training programme to hold on to the skills so acquired and put them to meaningful use, adding that he was ever ready to assist those that make judicious use of what they have learnt.
He said: “So far I have sponsored nine empowerment/skill acquisition projects less than one year as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Don’t forget that I was sworn in as Senator on November 15, 2023 after a rigorous court exercise”.
The Senior Legislative Aide (SLA) to the Senator, Hon Stanley Nwabuisi, said that noted that an ongoing plan place to develop clusters for business collaborations for the trainees.
He further stated that a mechanism has been put in place to monitor the post training activities of the participants aimed at ensuring that they would not abandon what they have been taught.
One of the participants, Mr. Ndubuisi Ugwunna, who spoke on behalf of others, thanked Senator Akobundu for giving them the opportunity to become, saying that it was a life-changing commercial venture.