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The House of Representatives on Wednesday at plenary asked the Federal Government to establish skill acquisition centers in the 360 federal constituencies as part of efforts at reducing the increasing rate of unemployment in the country.
The House also asked the government to recruit skilled craftsmen and women to teach at such acquisition centers, while yearly census of youths willing to acquire skills should be conducted to ensure the program’s viability and prevent negligence.
This followed a motion by the member representing Oshodi–Isolo II Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Hon. Jesse Okey–Joe Onuakalusi.
The Lawmaker said Oshodi-Isolo II Federal Constituency, with a dense population of 2.6 million, is divided into six wards. It is a skill acquisition center that will promote industry and commerce skills, generate indigenously trained manpower in the constituency and across other constituencies, and encourage the acquisition of skills in industry and commerce to generate a pool of indigenously trained manpower for the Nigerian economy.
He also said that Oshodi-Isolo II Federal Constituency has no single skill acquisition center to train the constituents in order to be self-reliant and dependent, especially in this period when the economy is not stable.
Onuakalusi said Improving skill development and acquisition can boost the nation’s economy,
promote economic growth, self-employment, and national development while ensuring proper employment.
According to him, skill acquisition involves training individuals to develop entrepreneurial spirit and ideas for meaningful development, which will in turn reduce youth restiveness, unemployment, and self-reliance, promoting youth empowerment.
He said if individuals are given the opportunity to acquire necessary skills for selfsustenance in the economy, it promotes charisma and exposes youths to sustainable paid and selfemployment, leading to poverty reduction and improved welfare status in constituencies.
Onuakalusi said Youth restiveness is a global issue causing increased crime, social unrest, and
economic instability, establishing a skill acquisition center is crucial to addressing youth restiveness and promoting socio-economic development.
Peoplesmind
