By Aluta News
June 18, 2021
ActionaAid Nigeria, an NGO, on Friday empowered 750 youths in Nasarawa State with N38 million worth of equipment as starter pack following their training in six vocation skills.
Miss Ene Obi, the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, who handed over the items to the beneficiaries in Lafia, said it was part of the implementation of its System and Structure Strengthening Approach against Radicalisation to Violent Extremism (SARVE II) Project in Nasarawa State.
She said that the SARVE II project was being implemented in collaboration with Global Peace Development and Beacon Youth Initiative with funding from Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).
According to her, the beneficiaries drawn from 12 communities in six local government areas of the state, were trained in six vocational skills – tailoring, hairdressing, shoe and bag making, ICT, phone repairs and carpentry.
Obi said: “While young women and men seek opportunities to invest their potential, they are often negatively affected by poverty, marginalisation, unemployment, and under-employment and often find themselves lacking the necessary literacy competencies, capabilities, and skills to overcome these issues.
“This makes them a vulnerable target of recruitment by violent extremist groups who exploit their frustrations and vulnerability.”
She noted that the exercise was part of the steps to reduce the vulnerability of the youths, through the provision of vocational training to boost their income generation and making them entrepreneurs as a panacea in the prevention of violent extremism in the state.
The country director explained that the beneficiaries were registered into 50 cooperative societies for proper monitoring and effective utilisation of the items.
She added that ActionAid had put in place a mechanism to check misuse of the items by involving community leaders to monitor progress of the benefit to the communities.
Speaking at the event, Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State commended ActionAid Nigeria for its various interventions in the state.
Sule, represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr Othman Bala-Adams, said the initiative was in line with the state’s Economic Development Strategy.
He urged the beneficiaries not to misuse the items thereby betraying the trust bestowed on them.
Also, Mr Rotgak Goden-Go’ar, acting state Coordinator of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), lauded ActionAid for the initiative, saying that it is the base for societal development.
He pointed out that training of youths in vocational skills would not be complete without the necessary tools to practice what they have learnt.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the empowerment packs included sewing machines, hair dryers, power generating sets, computer sets and accessories, carpentry tools and shoe making equipment, among others.
NAN