The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), has empowered 100 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members with professional Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills.
Speaking at the closing of the training on Wednesday in Abuja, the President of ACCI, Dr. Al-Mujtaba Abubakar, said that it was designed to up skill youth corps members in Abuja to become self-employed.
Represented by the Director-General of ACCI, Ms Victoria Akai, Abubakar said that the training conducted by ACCI’s Business Entrepreneurship Skills and Technology (BEST) Centre, empowered the beneficiaries to become highly competitive in the global market.
Newsmen reports that the participants were trained on digital marketing, copywriting, web designing, business communication and administration processes.
Others are data science and advanced excel trainings.
Abubakar, who urged the beneficiaries to use the skills and knowledge acquired to thrive in their various fields, said that the skills were relevant and could guarantee self-employment after their service year.
He added that it would further make their service remain relevant and essential for Nigeria’s economic growth.
“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 and training programmes.
“And its flagship training aimed at up scaling the skills of 1,000 youths in one year was highly successful with more than 70 per cent of the first batch of 120 participants currently engaged and generating incomes with the skills learnt,’’ Abubakar said.
In her remarks, the Director of ACCI, BEST Centre, D.Tinuke Temitope said that the four-week professional ICT training provided the participants with the skills and knowledge required to thrive in their chosen careers.
Temitope urged Nigerians to engage the services of the participants to improve their businesses and organisations.
Earlier, the Director-General of NYSC, Maj. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim commended ACCI for the training, noting that it would make the NYSC members self-employed and employers of labour after their service.
He was represented by the Director, General Services in NYSC, Mr Emmanuel Attah.
According to Ibrahim, NYSC will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders toward making members of the scheme more productive and contribute their quota to national economic development.
Some of the beneficiaries, Miss Chukwumerije Chisimchere, Eke Glory and Sanyaolu expressed gratitude to ACCI, NYSC and the supporting partners, GIZ and Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE) for the ICT training.
They called for more programmes that would make Nigerian youths become self-reliant and engage in meaningful ventures.
According to Chisimchere, the programme did not only impart skills but will develop the individual and the country.
While pledging to take full advantage of the skills, she appealed that the training be extended to all the states in the country.
Highlights of the event were tour of the exhibition stands and presentation of certificates to the beneficiaries.