Borno To Partner OPS, Others In Poverty, Unemployment Reduction
The Executive Secretary of Borno State Agency for Mass Literacy (BOAML), Alhaji Abba Kaka Alibe has said that the agency will continue to partner with the Organised Private Sector (OPC) in various “skills acquisitions and entrepreneurial trainings to address illiteracy, poverty and unemployment among teeming youths, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) residing in various camps of Maiduguri and Biu.
The partnership, according to him, could also harness the rich agricultural and mineral resources in the massive production of household goods; with increased incomes of entrepreneurs to reduce poverty and unemployment among youths in the state.
Alibe stated this at the passing out of 202 IDPs from the Small Scale Entrepreneurshig (SMSE) training programme at BOAML Assembly hall, Maiduguri.
He said the agency was not only in the business of mass literacy, but to address poverty and unemployment among youths by partnering with other agencies on various “skills acquisitions and trades” to create more job opportunities.
He therefore; called on other corporate organizations in the country to emulate Na’ish Handmade Enterprise in the training of youths for various skills and trade in addressing poverty and unemployment.
His words: “As this Agency continue to partner with other corporate orgnisations in skills acquisitions, develop human capacity building, I call on the Borno State Government to further assist in the training of more displaced persons taking refuge in various camps in Maiduguri and other towns in the North East sub-region of the country.”
On roles and interventions of OPC, Alibe said: “I would also like to appeal to private organisations in the state to come and partner with the Borno State Agency for Mass Literacy as occasioned by this ceremony toda. We would also contribute our own quota in making sure that not only IDPs; any other person who may wish to acquire skills and trades for self-reliance and increased job creation.
The Managing Director of Na’ish Handmade Enterprises, Aisha Musa Kidah said that a nation could not be industrialized without giving maximum support and attention to human capacity building through skils acquisitions and trades.
Her words: “May I hasten to explain that the two sets of participants are passing our together; because they are inseparable for two reasons. One, it is the resources we generated from the training of the determined and self-sponsored participants that we leveraged to give the IDPs this training.
“The desire to get trained, the zeal and determination displayed by the two groups during the programme better explains the need for Government at all levels to give attention to this industry as an answer to the much talked about unemployment in this country, Nigeria.
“I must at this juncture congratulate my fellow Nigerian Youths and indeed our politician that brought about change in our political system by overriding all odds to elect Baba Buhari, who has now rekindled our hopes, and today almost every Nigerian is certain that there is a sign of light at the end of the tunnel.
We have chosen the sunrise as our logo to signify a new dawn we perceive from the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and that is what has propelled us to create a nitch in the Enterpreneurship training.
“Chairman sir, we promise to reach out to many more youths as possible; if the Government can give us support and encouragement in addressing poverty and unemployment in this state, and the country at large.
While appealing to National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Government to be forthcoming with startup package for these trained youths, we hope attention will also be given to us for further training which is tailored towards self-employment and
poverty reduction.
“I present to you 339 potential entrepreneurs that can support themselves anywhere they are ; I will want to pay special tribute to the Agency for Mass Literacy in defending their names as Mass Educators.”she said.