Chamber tasks FG on nationwide skill acquisition centres

The Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) has called on the Federal Government to approve and license more skill acquisition centres across the country.

The move, the chamber said, creates training opportunities for Nigerian youths. President and Chairman of Council, NBCC, Ray Atelly, said it was time the government placed a moratorium on the approval and licensing of more universities in Nigeria for 10 years, whether government or privately owned.

According to him, with vocational training, Nigeria can also address insecurity and motorcycle menace, giving the youths opportunities they need to be gainfully employed. He lamented that Nigerian youths have a 7.2 per cent unemployment rate, which was far higher than the national average of five percent.

“It means that over 16 million Nigerian youths are unemployed. But how many of these lots are employable? This is where the training interventional at all tiers of government in Nigeria has become expedient,” he said.

He queried what would become of Nigeria in 20 years if the youths wandered their way into adulthood with no clear direction, filled with bitterness instead of love for their country.

The NBCC chief stated that it was time Nigeria stopped importing tradesmen from Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana while the youths engaged in mischief without future direction.

Atelly said it was time Nigeria truly invested in the youths and increased their participation in economic activities beyond peripheral roles and borderline operations.

To this, he said the chamber would unveil a women and youth entrepreneurship development centre, to transfer ideas and facilitate the creation of businesses, making a lasting impact on the communities it serves.