NOA, NIMC partner to train 450,000 on workplace skills

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) is partnering with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Nigeria Youth Volunteer Programme to train 450,000 youth across the country on workplace skills.

The Director General of NOA, Dr Garba Abari stated this during a capacity-building training on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the state directors and heads of programs of the NOA.

This capacity building is also part of the Agency’s effort to encourage volunteerism as one key step in mobilizing resources for national development.

Abari said the NOA is thinking outside the box in leveraging on partnerships to deliver on its mandates.

“Nigeria is a country of extremely very young people under the age of 35. The impact of this is on youth restiveness, cultism, extremism, kidnap for ransom and other social vices,” Abari noted.

He said the NOA is leveraging on the power of volunteerism to engage the youth across the country while capacitating them with workplace skills which is hardly delivered by our school curriculum.

“This way, the NOA and its partners will create several opportunities for youth across Nigeria to become busy in the environment that workplace skills on them.

“The purpose of this capacity-building session for state directors and heads of programs in the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT is to acquaint them with the knowledge that is required to ensure that they do their part when we launch the nationwide implementation of national youth volunteer scheme.

“This project which has brought about collaboration between the NOA and NIMC and Nigeria Youth Volunteer is in line with the present administration of President Bola Tinubu’s agenda on human capital. We will in the long term be training 450,000 youth volunteers working with the NIMC and the Nigeria Youth Volunteer,” he added.

The Director of Operations of NIMC, Uche Chigbo in her remarks, expressed the willingness of the commission to work with any stakeholder when it comes to how they can transform the nation and bring about good things to the people, especially the youth.

“We are ready for this collaboration, and we look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership with the NOA.

“I believe by the end of this training and capacity building, and going into the proper implementation we will be able to equip the youth with skills that they require in this digital age,” she added.