Farouq urges N-knowledge beneficiaries to contribute their quota to Nigeria’s economic growth

Akpan Umoh, Uyo

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq, has tasked beneficiaries of N-knowledge to leverage the acquired skill and contribute their quota to the growth of the country’s economy.

Farouq said this during the closing ceremony of the N-knowledge Expansion Training programme organised for youths in the South-South geopolitical zone held at the Nigeria Christian Bible College, Abak, Akwa Ibom on Wednesday.

Our correspondent reports that N-Knowledge is one of the core segments of N-Power meant for non-graduates and embodies the N-Tech Hardware, N-Tech Software, and the N-Creative training programmes (Animation and Scriptwriting).

Farouq, who was represented by the State Focal Person, Social Investment Programme (SIP), Dr Godwin Akpan, said that the programme was designed to achieve the national objectives of poverty reduction.

She said that it is aimed at creating jobs by helping young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills to empower themselves and become solution providers and entrepreneurs in their communities.

“I am delighted to bid farewell to trainees of the N-Knowledge training programme for the six geo-political zones of the country.

“Let me commence by congratulating the 1,500 beneficiaries out of 3,300 who reported to the different training camps and were trained during this period thus marking the end of the N-Knowledge Expansion Training programme.

“During the training sessions where you all learnt the core components of the programme in the respective tracks, these well-organised curricula are meant to shape you in the choice of your trades to become useful to yourselves and develop competencies which will increase production and add to the overall growth of the society.

“You will confirm by now that the N-Knowledge programme is focused on equipping young Nigerians with relevant skills and certification to become competent workers, innovators, and entrepreneurs prepared for both the domestic and global digital job market.

“N-Knowledge programme targets to upskill young Nigerians on the global radar as exporters of world-class services and content in the creative and information technology sectors,” Farouq said.

Farouq expressed optimism that the training would develop competencies of the youth in software development, Hardware training, and creative industry which is catalytic as well as the groundwork to make Nigeria compete in the outsourcing market for software development.

She added that It would develop the skills and capacities along the skills set in the value chain of website development, and mobile app maintenance and start the talent development effort for the growth of the information technology industry in Nigeria.

The Minister said that the beneficiaries were provided with different training tools to aid them in further development.

“These were procured to enable you to maximize the skills learnt during your stay in the camp and to start with your vocation. I hereby present these training tools and their complimentary accessories to you.

“Above all, your certificates of completion of training which is an attestation of good behaviour and attendance are sealed and delivered to you.

“All the training tools were carefully designed to meet the needs of the different programme tracks in Hardware maintenance, software development and Creative design,” she said.

The Minister assured the beneficiaries that the federal government was committed to ensuring that the strategic objectives of all the social intervention programmes are achieved and sustained.

She commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his administration’s unwavering efforts in eradicating poverty in the country and for supporting and sustaining the National Social Investment Programme.

Speaking to our correspondent, Mr Uche Ogbeni beneficiary from Rivers, who was trained in hardware development, expressed happiness for partaking in the training.

Ogbeni said that the training will help him improve his skills to earn more income.

Miss Glory Edet, another beneficiary trained in software development said that she was excited to participate in the training. Edet commended the federal government for the N-Knowledge programme, saying that it would have cost her much to pay and acquire the skill elsewhere.