The Executive Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), in the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, has flagged off the Phase 1 of the empowerment of 700 residents of the Council.
Speaking at the flag off exercise held at Apo Resettlement Town Hall, Maikalangu said the beneficiaries will be given startup kits to practice their professions.
He said that it is better to be self employed than to wait for white collar jobs as government cannot employ everyone.
‘Every family in AMAC has about 5 graduates. If you multiply that, you will see we have millions of graduates. There is no way the federal government will employ everyone. The truth is that we cannot employ everyone too. That’s why there is need for youths to be self employed.
‘This is just phase one of the empowerment scheme. We selected 100 beneficiaries. We identified them in the 12 wards of AMAC and asked what they wanted to be trained on. Some wanted to learn tailoring, baking, welder, barbing, ICT, amon
g others. We then attached them to professionals and organizations, where they were trained.
‘We will give them starter packs to start practicing what they trained on. Gone are the days were our items will end up being sold at markets. Going forward, we will inspect and monitor the trainees to ensure they utilize the tools for the right purposes. After this phase, we will move on to the next phase, which will be bigger.
‘It is not everyone that will be employed in the civil service. Even those in the service wait for the end of the month to receive salaries. But if you are self employed, you will be making money on a daily basis. If you watch 10 cars at N1,000 each, that is N10,000 per month. Times it by 30.’
Showing appreciation, some of the beneficiaries, including Mary Bala, Juliet Justine and Umezuruike David, said they have gained enough knowledge to stand on their own.
Speaking earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the Chairman on ICT, Mr Jackson, said the empowerment is a replica of what the Chi
nese Government are doing to their youths that make China a world trade center today.
He said: ‘This skill acquisition program which is tagged as AMAC Youths Skills Empowerment Program, is a platform introduced to oriented our youths on how to be creative, innovative and productive, in Abuja Municipal Area Council and Nigeria at large. It is a prerequisite established to fight against the high rate of unemployment we have today in the country, thus enhancing the emergence of our youths as jobs creators and providers.
‘As a no. 1 citizens of Abuja Municipal Area Council, it may interest you to know that your people are proud of you especially the youths. Your infrastructural projects within two years in your office is so unprecedented (Please let’s clap). I really want to believe that this is why you are popularly known today as Mr. Project, just as your master in the person of Chief Barrister Nyesom Wike CON.; The man who use only one year to transform the look of FCT.
‘In view of this, we have selected ov
er 100 youths across the 12 wards of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, to train them on skills, as well as providing them with items to start up their businesses.’
Source: Voice of Nigeria