As the Sani Bello foundation graduates 115 youths from
its vocational school, Niger State Governor, Sani Bello, has raised the alarm
that only 50 out of 250,000 graduates across the country secure employment
after their national youth service year.
Bello said the unemployment rate in the country has
reached a dangerous dimension requiring concerted efforts by relevant
stakeholders to address and stem the trend.
The governor spoke in Kontagora at the weekend at the
graduation of the trainees from the Colonel Sani Bello vocational school under
the Sani Bello foundation.
The foundation is sponsored by the father of the
governor and one time military Governor of Kano State.
"The situation now calls for urgent attention.
From every 250,000 corps members that complete their mandatory service year,
hardly do we have 50 of them getting jobs, thereby making vocational education
and skill acquisition the way to empower our teeming youths.
"The high rate of unemployment of our youths
after university education would have been taken care off, if our youths strive
to acquire and develop skills in various vocations, thereby getting themselves
gainfully engaged and becoming masters of their future.
"It is
in the light of this that our administration is reviving the technical and
vocational education by renovating three technical colleges in the state. Our
consultant is almost through with the template so that our youths are equipped
for their future rather than waiting endlessly for the jobs that are not
available," Bello stated.
He commended the foundation for empowering over 1,000
youths so far in various vocations, and described the efforts of the non-profit
making foundation as complementary of government's youth empowerment
programmes.
The Vice Chairman of the foundation, Alhaji Usman
Sani Bello, in his address, said the need to ensure a secured future for the
younger generations had been the driving force of the foundation, adding that the
need to give back to the society was equally responsible for the establishment
of the foundation by Colonel Sani Bello (rtd).
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