Youths have been advised to seize the opportunity of Skills Acquisition Centres to gain practical knowledge and requisite skills as having the right skills is a major means of surviving the current economic climate in the country.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olu. Ola. Aikulola stated this during the Community Sensitization and Engagement Programme for the Take-off of Ogun State Skills Acquisition Centres at Iperu and Ilishan, Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The Skills Acquisition Centres at Iperu and Ilishan were executed by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and managed by the Ogun State Technical and Vocational Education Board (OGSTVEB).

Dr Aikulola who was represented by the Director, Investment, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ms. Yemisi Folarin said participating in skill acquisition training is now a strategy adopted all over the world to help mould youths into job creators instead of job seekers.

Calling on the youths, the Permanent Secretary said youth participation at different Skills Acquisition Centres “will ensure and allow young people to understand and explore different or alternative career options that are available at the Vocational Centres and equally get expert guidance on their chosen career path. The benefit from this laudable initiative is far-reaching and will reshape their mindset towards productive and fulfilled lives”.

He reiterated the Dapo Abiodun-led administration determination to improving the Ease of Doing Business and capacity building for youths citing the recently inaugurated Ogun Fashion Hub with 150 state of the art tailoring equipment as one of the efforts of government towards addressing the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

In her remarks, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mrs. Damilola Otubanjo urged relevant stakeholders to work together to ensure the projects are effectively utilised to transform lives noting that evidence-based effective usage of the facilities would help attract more development-driven projects to the State.

In his address, Skill Specialist, Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), Engr. Segun Fatoki disclosed that the Ogun State Skills Fund which has been in existence since 2022 has been training 10,000 youths annually free of charge adding that youths who are yet to benefit from the programme should not hesitate to apply for the National Skills Qualification (NSQF) programmes at the Skills Acquisition Centres.

Speaking earlier, the Acting Executive Secretary, Ogun State Technical and Vocational Education Board (OGSTVEB), Mr. Olubori Akinleye said the two Skills Acquisition Centres have been established to help train and upskill youths on different courses like catering, hair styling, cosmetology, garment making, masonry and tiling among others to become gainfully employed as well as business owners.

He called on educated and uneducated youths to enroll for the Skills for Job Creation Programmes at the Skills acquisition centres adding that the training were currently free through a scholarship provided by the Ogun Skills Fund.

In his goodwill message, the Ebi of Idena, Oba Lukmon Adebambo Salami urged unemployed youths irrespective of the level of educational background to participate in the skills acquisition training at the Centre appealing to the trainers to be lenient in their approach towards the trainees.

Speaking in an interview, a participant at the event, Mr. Shakiru Erinfolami commended the programme for being a non-discriminatory programme which help sharpen participants’ skills in line with global best practices.