CRDI, Chinese Expatriates to Train Youth on Air Condition Repair, Agribusiness, Other Dozen Skills

CRDI, Chinese Expatriates to Train Youth on Air Condition Repair, Agribusiness, Other Dozen Skills

By Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi

A Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, Cities and Regional Development Initiatives, CRDI, in collaboration with some Chinese expatriates will soon embark on training residents of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, in some vocational skills.

FCT Coordinator of CRDI, Miss Joy Osaji, made this known in Abuja during the flag off ceremony for the construction of a youth vocational training centre, donated by the NGO.

According to Osaji, about 100 people are expected to benefit from the vocational training exercise.

The youths will be trained on building technology, air conditioning and refrigerating maintenance, carpentry, agribusiness, fashion design, mechanics, hairdressing, mobile phone repairs, wood works and joinery, among others.

Miss Osaji noted that their effort which was timely and very apt was necessitated by frightening unemployment among youths.

“We also wish to thank the China chamber of General Commerce and its affiliates, the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd(CCECC) China Harbor and
China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC) for hearkening to our call for assistance. We also want to thank green leaf foundation and the Nigerian Farmers Group and Cooperative Society (NFGCS).”

However, She equally urged stakeholders in the country including the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMB) to join this crusade in order to enhance and certify the training programmes.

Speaking earlier at the event, Mr. Austin Qichenjun, a representative of the Chinese companies drawn from CCECC, lamented that a lot of young people lack requisite skills which makes it difficult for them to secure job especially in a competitive environment.

He assured that CCECC was always willing to develop the skills of its Nigerian workers and transfer technology to them, emphasizing that their company will replicate the same gesture to participants of this program.

On his part, representative of China Harbour, Mr. Zhuokun eulogized the organizers of the event, while harping on skill acquisition for Nigerian youth.

He said; “Our company would continue to support skill acquisition for Nigerians and transfer of technology and would also work with the promoters of the project to ensure that those who have been trained are gainfully employed.”

A public affairs analyst, Alhaji Mujeed Dahiru, noted that, the Chinese communities in Nigeria have been generous to our societies through their various Corporate Social Responsibility programs, one of which is the skills acquisition.

He therefore, tasked Nigerians to reciprocate in the same manner by paying attention towards grabbing the knowledge and skills being transferred to them through these kinds of vocational trainings.