By EricJames Ochigbo
No fewer than 300 residents of Kabusa Community of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have benefited from the pilot vocational skill acquisition programme of the Input for Development, an NGO, in Abuja.
The Convener of the NGO, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, said the initiative focused on nurturing and utilising talents for development.
He added that the programme, entitled “Operation Busy Hands”, was designed to support government and other ongoing efforts towards achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by year 2030.
He said that the vocational skill acquisition, an empowerment programme, was inspired by the economic hardship seen around local communities in the country and around the world.
He explained that “we want people to be empowered in their communities; 2030 is around the corner and we believe that private sector must work with governments on this.
“If the private sector did not participate in attaining the SDGs, there will be challenges because of the enormous resources required.
“That is why we are coming directly to the communities. When we empower them, they will be able to employ more and generate wealth; by so doing, we’ll be able to achieve the SDGs.”
He said the NGO facilitated training in soap-making, production of body and hair cream, detergent, insecticide, Vaseline, air fresheners and antiseptics, as well as bag-making, tailoring, catering, painting, printing, among others.
Mr Silas Agara, the Director-General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), commended the initiative targeted at the success of the SDGs in the country.
He said that the initiative particularly addressed youth unemployment, underemployment and the urgent need for inclusive and sustainable livelihoods.
According to him, the initiative remains one of the most effective tools for social stability, economic empowerment and national development, and particularly significant because it is anchored on the attainment of the SDGs.
He pointed out that “if well structured, such initiatives can serve as scalable models, attract partnerships and contribute meaningfully to local economic development.
“Furthermore, our experience at the NDE shows that long-term success is best achieved when programmes are locally owned, policy aligned, data driven and supported by strong institutional frameworks and partnerships.
“It is, therefore, our hope that this pilot programme will not only deliver immediate outcomes but be nurtured into a sustainable platform that complements national employment policies and contributes to Nigeria’s broader development agenda.”
He reiterated NDE’s commitment to knowledge sharing, collaboration and technical engagements with the NGO, in line with its statutory mandate.
Mr Obinna Okafor, the General Manager, Community and Social Development Project (CSDP), a World Bank-assisted project in the FCT, expressed readiness to partner with the NGO to expand the initiative.
He said the Operation Busy Hands programme aligned with the objectives of CSDP.
Okafor explained that the CSDP would partner with beneficiaries and further engage meaningful understanding of the Labour Intensive Public Work programme of CSDP.
Mrs Magret Moses, one of the trainers in soap-making, urged the Federal Government to provide smart-up kits and grants for the beneficiaries.
She said many of those who got the training might return to their idle state if support did not come early enough as they do not have the required resources to start their own businesses.
One of the beneficiaries, Master Timonthy Olamide, a 17-year-old, expressed satisfaction with the training and commended Input for Development for choosing Kabusa Community for the pilot.
Olamide, who was trained in bag-making, said that prior to the training, he was a sales boy in one of the local shops.
He said that with the new skill acquired, he would rally support to enable him to get start-up kicks to enable him to commence the process of becoming a big brand in the country.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of first aid box to government primary and secondary school in the community and a novelty soccer match between Super Sports FC, Oduduwa FC, Mirald FC and Young Star FC. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu
