Our reforms creating employment opportunities, economic prospects, says Shettima

• Flags Off Distribution Of Relief Materials To Flood Victims

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the ongoing reforms initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would create employment opportunities for the youth population as well as provide greater opportunities in the various sectors of the economy.

Shettima underscored the inevitability of skills acquisition among the young demographic in Nigeria, noting that the nation could no longer afford to keep growing a population of idle, unemployed and unemployable youths.

The Vice President spoke on Friday during the combined graduation ceremony of the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technology Institute, Lafia, Nasarawa State.

Shettima stated: “The danger of paying lip service to technical and vocational skills acquisition is one none of us is prepared to experience, and the examples of various low and middle income countries, especially the Asian Tigers, are there to inspire the direction of our National Development Plans and push our economic drive towards a destination we all desire — a place of boom.

“This is why His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has championed economic reforms beyond the usual cosmetic fixes to lay the groundwork for greater opportunities ahead. With increased allocations to the states, I believe that we are more than energised to fund our development programmes.”

Recalling Nigeria’s origin as an agrarian nation, Shettima noted that there is no greater inspiration than concentrating on “the magnitude of initiatives made possible by the proceeds of the sector and the hard work of those skilled and unskilled workers who were the fulcrum of our pre-oil economy.”

He said the graduation ceremony was an opportunity to celebrate the sincerity of the Tinubu administration’s promise to create avenues for up-skilling and re-skilling the nation’s workforce across sectors.

The vice president applauded the foresight of the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, which he said has manifested in his aspiration to turn the state “into a hub of jobs and opportunities.”

Shettima, who earlier flagged-off the distribution of relief materials to flood victims and the presentation of tractors and paddy rice to farmers in the state, said it was a demonstration of his affinity for Nasarawa State, which he added has already become home to him.

He also commended the institute for graduating no fewer than 9,000 students in barely three years of its existence, charging the graduands to join relevant associations and cooperatives to enable them access loan facilities and learn from the experiences of those ahead of them in their respective enterprises.

Earlier in his remarks, Sule said the skills programme of the state vocational and technology institute was designed to address the skills gap in critical sectors and empower young Nigerians.

The governor thanked Shettima for finding time to visit the state, and for his support for modest contributions to economic transformation and youth empowerment.

Also, former Plateau State governor, Senator Simon Lalong, praised the courage and efforts of the state government in impacting the lives of young Nigerians through the various schemes in agriculture and vocational and technology training.

On his part, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, His Lordship, Hassan Kukah, applauded the Nasarawa State government for its efforts to address poverty through skills acquisition and economic empowerment initiatives, emphasising the significance of empowering young people with skills to impact their communities and societies.

The Executive Director of the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational Technology Institute, Dr. Daniel Asele, said the 1,000 graduands of the 2024 programme of the institute had undergone rigorous training and acquired skills that are relevant to contemporary challenges of their communities and state at large.

In a goodwill message, the Director General of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Mr. Adewale Oyerinde, commended the Nasarawa State government for its commitment to empowering young Nigerians.

Also, the Emir of Lafia, Hon. Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I (rtd), thanked the vice president for his support and commitment to the people of Nasarawa State, pledging the loyalty of the traditional council to the Federal Government’s programmes and policies.

High points of the event were the presentation of start-up packs and certificates to the graduands in welding, tailoring, ICT and other fields.