Artisan facilities will end restiveness, says development expert

To reduce unemployment, youth restiveness, and myriad of problems facing the country, there is urgent need for government at all levels to provide artisan facilities across the country to take youths off the streets.

There is also need to train them in different skills no matter their qualifications. International coordinator of The New Breed for Sustainable Development, Ekpenyong Ekpenyong, stated this in an interview with The Guardian in Uyo.

Ekpenyong, an engineer, revealed that the secret to wealth is skill, stressing that boundless opportunities and possibilities abound for individuals that acquire skills and put them to work.

He explained that providing artisan facilities across the country would create for youths opportunities to earn a living. He said if governments at all levels would create artisan-training facilities for youths, Nigeria would become a better place.

He said that fact made New Breed for Sustainable Development (TNB) a socio-political group to provide free entrepreneurship training for over 700 youths and free starter packs to the best trainees during the training.

Tools and materials for the training, he added, were provided by the group, saying that the target of the foundation is to provide free entrepreneurship training for ten thousand youths in the state in various skills in the areas of catering, makeover, leather works, fashion, among others.

The coordinator said the training is in line with the Dakkadda Philosophy of Governor Udom Emmanuel and the group’s mission to promote skill-based education and entrepreneurship.

Trainees expressed joy and satisfaction in various skills they learnt, saying that TNB free training has helped in reducing youth restiveness.