-As Umar Farouq advises against sale of starter packs
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has formally ended the training of 3,300 beneficiaries in Hardware, Software, Animation, script writing and other life skills under the N-Knowledge programme.
The beneficiaries have been in residential training since February 2023.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja, at the closing ceremony of the N-Knowledge Expansion training coordinated in the FCT and training camps in six geo-political zones, Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq said that the programme is focused on equipping young Nigerians with relevant skills and certification to become competent workers, innovators and entrepreneurs prepared for both the domestic and global digital job market.
At the closing ceremony held at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, Abuja, the Minister, charged the beneficiaries to make optimum use of the opportunity given to them to become solution providers and entrepreneurs in their communities.
“I am specifically here to symbolically bid farewell to all the trainees of the N-Knowledge training programme for the 6 geo-political zones of the country.
“It is designed to achieve Mr President’s goal of poverty reduction and job creation, most especially as it targets the unemployed youth for competence building and gainful employment. The N-Power helps young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills to become solution providers and entrepreneurs in their communities.
“During the training sessions where you all learnt the core components of the programme in the respective tracks, there were well-organized curricular meant to shape you in the choice of your trades to become useful to yourselves and develop competencies which will increase production and add to the overall growth of the society.
“You will confirm by now that N-Knowledge programme is focused on equipping young Nigerians with relevant skills and certification to become competent workers, innovators and entrepreneurs prepared for both the domestic and global digital job market.The training targeted at developing competencies of the youth in software development, Hardware handling and application of ICT in the creative industry, are catalysts to mainstreaming the Nigerian youth to at least take advantage of the outsourcing market for software development”.
Umar Farouq also advised the beneficiaries against selling their starter packs and urged them to use the devices given to them to become independent entrepreneurs in the society.
“The assorted training tools are being packaged and released to you appropriately as starter packs. These were procured to enable you to maximize the skills learnt during your stay in the camp and to start off with your vocation after wards. Above all, your certificates of completion of training which is an attestation of good behaviour and attendance is sealed and delivered to you. All the training tools were carefully designed to meet the needs of the different programme tracks in Hardware maintenance, software development and Creative design”
The Minister thanked His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for his unwavering efforts in eradicating poverty and for supporting and sustaining the National Social Investment Programme.
She also presented Certificates, laptops and work stations to the beneficiaries.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo commended the beneficiaries for their good behavior throughout the training and urged them to maintain same thereafter.
The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the National Cordinator Engr Umar Bindir also wished them a successful apprenticeship period ahead while maximizing the opportunity given to them.
“I would want to emphasize again that every trainee must see this opportunity as a blessing that must not be wasted. Having interacted with various kinds of people from different backgrounds, making friends, learning together, discovering together, then put all these efforts to practice as this will shape your future. Recall that several thousand applied for this same programme and you got the opportunity to be engaged having satisfied the selection criteria. This should be taken seriously”.
Beneficiaries will earn a stipend of N10,000 monthly for the 9 months period of their apprenticeship.
In attendance were Directors of the Ministry, the Administrator and CEO of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria Dr Ganiyu Obatoyimbo as well as aides of the Hon Minister.
NNEKA IKEM ANIBEZE
SA MEDIA
