Stella Adaeze Oduah, a Senator representing Anambra North, has listed some of her efforts on bridging the gap of unemployment, as she celebrates International Youths Day.
Gatekeepers News reports that Oduah, in a statement she personally signed on Friday, highlighted the causes of unemployment and the solutions she has been able to proffer as a Senator.
She wrote: “As a mother myself and as a leader, I have been privileged to come across and in most cases, work closely with some of the most amazing brightest young people and you can’t help but ask, why don’t we push the youths to excel which explains why over the years, I have been at the forefront of clamouring for more inclusion of the youths into our social and leadership systems.
On the home front, our youths litter the streets, jobless and yet full of life and one cannot say Education or lack of it, is the problem here, because every year, our higher institutions churn out hundreds of thousands of graduates.
So what exactly is the problem?
The problem is that globally, corporate jobs are on the decline.The need for men and women behind computers are dwindling whilst the need for skilled workers is on the rise.
The result is the lack of “proper office jobs” and the inevitable rise of “manual jobs”.
Taking this into consideration, I’d long set about empowering the youths with relevant skills and knowledge to go ahead with their careers. Remember, education is very important and can never be overestimated but the world is adapting to the flow of present day realities and we must follow up or be left behind.
Anambra North, is full of vibrant youths and it was only wise that we came up with plans on how to tap into their creativity.
To achieve this, we decided to create awareness on the massive opportunities that abound in being trained in various skills and crafts. Not just that, we have over time, sponsored countless skills acquisition training programs for our youths.
The average welder in UAE for example, earns an average of 75,000 dirhams annually while the average mason earns about 86,000 dirhams annually. Some countries, like Canada for example, would always give preference to people traveling with certified skilled worker visas and this is because they need the labour force.
Imagine if we are able to capitalize on this opportunity!
The growing demand globally for trained skilled workers is in our favor as Nigerians because of our population.
China, India and the Philippines have maximized this to their advantage.
As a result of fewer population, the western world struggles to meet up with the demand for labour and so they are in dire need of skilled foreign workers.
Asides training our youths in various skills, we’ve also provided jobs and business opportunities for many of them whilst empowering them in their dream careers with both funding and training.
Currently, over 130 skills acquisition training programs have been organized so far in Anambra North on various skills such as, plumbing, masonry, solar panels installations, wig making, bead making, movie production, script writing, fish farming, road maintenance, nursing training, nail making, broadcasting, acting, ICT development and programming and etc.
We have also provided soft loans and financial grants for those interested in business and these funds are given to them at a zero interest rate.
We have also given scholarships to over 5,000 youths across the seven LGA’s that make up the district and the testimonies have been inspiring.
I believe that the youths, especially the youths of Anambra North, are special and very crucial in our strive for a better Nigeria.
Often times, I have been tagged “Mama ndị youth na ụmụ nwanyị” by my constituents and this is due to the fact that I am proudly a supporter of everything youths and women.
The world must come to a rallying point and put our youths on the projector and treat their cause with the urgency it deserves for the youths are not the leaders of tomorrow but should be rightly viewed as today’s leaders whose time is now!
Great Anambra North youths!
Great Anambra State youths!!
Great Nigeria youths!!!
Your time is now!
On behalf of myself and the hardworking youths of Anambra North Senatorial District, I celebrate with your counterparts across Nigeria and all over the world as you celebrate the WORLD YOUTHS DAY 2022.
I pray that God Almighty preserves you all and restores sanity, peace and love to our generation.“
