World Youth Skills Day: Foundation donates 1,000 garments to IDPs in Abuja
By Emmanuel Oloniruha
An NGO, Ladi Memorial Foundation (LMF), has donated over 1000 garments to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) at Durumi, Abuja, in commemoration of “2023 World Youth Skills Day”.
The Executive Director of LMF, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya said the garments were made by youths between ages 12 to 18 from the just concluded Incentivized Pilot Sewing Schools’ Championship 2023 (SSCP23) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Osikoya said the SSCP23 had a participation of over 1, 000 youths across the six Area Councils in the FCT, where three schools and some individual winners received over 50 Sewing Machines including industrial, manual and special purpose sewing equipment.
She added that the SSCP23 was initiated by LMF, supported by UNESCO, FCT Education Secretariat and other relevant partners.
Osikoya encouraged the youth at the IDP camp to embrace skills acquisition for personal financial empowerment, saying the garments being donated were made by youths like them.
The executive director said the garment industry has the potential to lift millions of Nigerian youths out of poverty.
“We are actually saying education cannot solve all our problems. The clothing industry in Nigeria, if properly harnessed, will compete with other countries like India. Bangladesh and the rest of world while our economy is also growing,” she said.
Osikoya opined that education provided a platform for mentorship and nurturing but emphasised that more attention should be paid to skills, especially for the younger generation.
“Imagine if every school in Nigeria is providing workshop for skills training, we will be able provide solutions to our basic needs of shelter, food and clothing and not just to speak English”, she stated.
While handing over the garments to the IDP, the Vice Chairman of LMF Board, Kashim Ali, charged youths in the Camp to rise up and take hold of their destiny by learning a skill.
On his part, the Secretary General, Nigerian National Commission (NATCOM) for UNESCO, Dr Olawale Olagunju, said future of the country’s development lies on the firm shoulders of skilled youths.
“The world is changing rapidly; hence, it is crucial that we empower young people to navigate these changes effectively,” Olagunju said.
Olagunju, represented by Mrs Omotosho Bukola, said that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was strategically placed to improve access to the world of work.
He stressed that TVET would ensure that skills gained are relevant, recognised and certified, promoting green skills and practices, and offering skills development opportunities for youths of all cadres, either educated or not.
In his response, Dr Sanwo David, who received the garments on behalf of the IDP Camp, thanked the LMF for the gesture, saying it would go a long way to improve the wellbeing of IDPs.
He said the gift was timely as the people in the IDP were less privilege and clothing was also a challenge to them
David commended the LMF for the initiative in promoting skills acquisition among the youths especially in schools, and urged other NGOs to emulate the gesture.
The theme of this year’s World Youth Skills Day is “Skilling Teachers, Trainers and Youth for a Transformative Future”. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Isaac Aregbesola
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