Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Anambra state, South-East Nigeria, Senator Stella Oduah has charged the youths of her constituency and the entire state to embrace human capital development to secure their futures.
In a statement by Nonso Chukwudebe, the Spokesperson to the lawmaker, he said Sen. Oduah has set up various programmes to enable youths to key into the demands of modern job markets.
Gatekeepers News reports that Chukwudebe said Oduah’s dream is to make the zone the envy of others.
The statement read in part, “Anyone that has meticulously followed the leadership trajectory of the Distinguished Senator representing Anambra North, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah OON, would be left in no doubt about her passion for Human Capital Development.
“It is a mantra she holds very dear which has naturally culminated in the many skill acquisition programs her office continues to unveil over the years, but it is unfortunate that some still do not really understand and appreciate the urgency behind ensuring our teeming youths take advantage of these offerings designed to better their lives and make them more competitive on the global skills market.
“To be clear, anyone still living under the illusion that the only way to succeed in life is by acquiring a degree to join the labour market should perish this thought for the stark reality is that the jobs are not there!
“We live in a nation where the birth rate is growing exponentially with many universities churning out graduates in quantum leaps; who eventually get stuck in an almost endless vicious cycle of unemployment.
“Unlike the West where families are constantly shrinking, Nigerians continue to birth children in droves and for a country of well over 250 million people and counting, with the youths making the majority, it makes perfect sense to understand that this enormous pool of human resources must be harnessed to the benefit of themselves, those around them, their states, LGA’S, Senatorial district and indeed, Nigeria.
“In case you don’t know, the developed western nations are currently in a dilemma as a result of their aforementioned shrinking population, for they desperately need certified skilled labour to not only work on their many factories and industries but to sustain their current position and the only place on earth that currently has human capital in abundance is Africa and by extension, Nigeria.
“This explains why they now have special immigrant visas, which requires intending settlers to furnish proof of certification in various skills for they are heavily aware of their deficiency in these areas.
“The Philipinos have long understood this, and as we speak, their citizens can be found in many industrialised nations, working and remitting much needed foreign currency back home and in fact, a large percentage of the budget of the Philippines relies heavily on these monies.
“The question Senator Stella Oduah is posing to the Anambra North youth is, if they know that we have an abundance of human capital if they also know that there are enormous opportunities for certified skilled labour not only in Nigeria but in advanced Western countries, why are they not taking full advantage of these opportunities?
”She wonders why her numerous skill acquisition programs designed to awaken our consciousness to the reality of not only horning these skills but get certified, is being taken for granted.
“In the past, Senator Stella Oduah had unveiled numerous training designed to imbue constituents with skills in areas like Data Coding, Fish Farming, Catering, Dress Making, Baking, Soap Making, Welding & Machine Fabrication, Maintenance Of Heavy Construction Equipment & Asphalt Plant (Plus Start-Up Tools & Kits, ICT, Construction & Rehabilitation of Roads using locally sourced materials, Solar Power Installation, Construction & Rehabilitation Of Houses Using Local Materials; and she continues to unveil new programs in the hope that our teeming youth of Anambra North would embrace this global paradigm shift that has come to stay.
“We live in a continuously evolving world where a university degree no longer stands as a prerequisite for obtaining jobs. It is a world where a man who lacks ICT skills despite being a graduate would be considered not only useless to whoever is unfortunate to employ him but to himself, for there is no way in our present reality that one can hope to stay competitive without this skill.
“And so we urge our youths, especially those of Anambra North extraction, to key into Senator Stella Oduah’s passion for Human Capital Development, for they would be doing themselves and the senatorial district a great disservice by not doing so.
“In the coming weeks and months, Senator Stella Oduah shall be offering a slew of skill acquisition training programs, and even as we speak, one is ongoing at some Halls of the All Saints Cathedral Onitsha.
“We urge Constituents to be on the lookout for announcements and ensure they join this progressive bandwagon that can only lead to self-sustenance.
“Remember, a man that can entirely fend for himself and those around him has no need to beg nor continue expecting the ever-elusive jobs to drop on his laps and the only sure path to this is Human Capital Development.
“Why not key into Senator Stella Oduah’s dream to make our zone the envy of others?
“Learn a skill today, get certified, and you’ll never have reason to regret it.”
