Lokoja: Jos Community Film Festival (JOCOFFEST) has announced the selection of 200 youths from Plateau for training and empowerment aimed at promoting self-sustenance. Prof. Eddie Ossai, Founder and Coordinator of JOCOFFEST, shared this development in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
According to Voice of Nigeria, Prof. Ossai, a lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts at Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos, disclosed that the training sessions will coincide with the festival scheduled for November 5 to 7 at Gyel Community in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau. The initiative seeks to engage restive youths and equip them with skills for livelihood and self-reliance.
Prof. Ossai remarked on the challenges faced by Plateau youth, emphasizing the importance of peace as a prerequisite for stability, security, and development in the region. He explained that providing access to skills acquisition would help mitigate the temptation to engage in vices, fostering responsibility and self-development among the youth.
The festival will offer training in various skills, including film screening/mastering, systematic technology, content creation, and special effects, to enhance the capabilities of the 200 participants.