The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) on Wednesday commenced training for 100 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in the Federal Capital Territory on Professional IT/ICT Skills.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the four-weeks training supported by GIZ-Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE) and implemented by the Business Entrepreneurship Skills and Technology (ACCI-BEST) Centre, the President of ACCI, Dr Al-Mujtaba Abubakar stated that the beneficiaries will be trained on digital marketing, copywriting, web designing, business communication and administration processes, data science and advanced excel skills.
He said the move was part of ACCI strategies of empowering 1000 youths in one year towards making them self-reliant adding that the partnership through ACCI-BEST Centre will help corps members within Abuja on employability skills that can make them highly competitive in the global market and make their services remain relevant and essential for national economic growth in the 21st century global digital economy.
“The BEST Centre which is the training and capacity development arm of the Chamber has in the past few years supported youth empowerment through various vocational skills training programme. Its flagship project aimed at training 1000 youths in one year was highly successful with over 70 percent of the first batch of 120 participants currently engaged and generating incomes with the skills acquired” Dr Al-Mujtaba stated.
The Director-General of NYSC, Major General Ibrahim Shuaibu, who graced the occasion commended ACCI for the training noting that it would go a long way to make the corps members employers of labour after their service year.
He said NYSC would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders towards making corps members productive and contribute their quota to national economic development.
The President ACCI, Dr Al-Mujtaba Abubakar handing over souvenir to the Director-General NYSC, Maj. General S. Ibrahim at the opening ceremony of a four week training was support by GIZ-SKYE and implemented by ACCI-BEST Centre.
The NYSC DG also stated that the partnership was in line with the desire to continually seek support from credible partners for the training and empowerment of Corps members under the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) department.
He also called on other organizations to emulate the implementing partners in the training and empowerment of the Corps members bearing in mind that investment in our youth is an investment in the future and the entire nation.
The Director General of ACCI, Victoria Akai said the GIZ-SKYE Program has been a great partnership for over four years in supporting youth empowerment targeting age 18-35 years in five priority areas.
She said through this, ACCI has built the capacity of over 1200 youth while urging corp members to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them which will help them to be self-employed.
The Director of ACCI BEST Centre, Dr Tinuke Temitope while appreciating the commitment of GIZ-SKYE Program and NYSC SAED urged Corps members to make good use of this rare opportunity as the training will guarantee self-employment after their service year.
She also said that the Professional IT/ICT Training would upskills youth corps members on employability skills that can make them employable and highly competitive in the global market while adding that it will also make their services remain relevant and essential for national economic growth in the 21st century global digital economy.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to ACCI, NYSC and the supporting partner, GIZ-SKYE Prpgram for the ICT Training programme while calling for more programmes that would make Nigerian youths self-reliant and responsible citizens.
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Olayemi John-Mensah
ACCI, Media/Strategy Officer