*As FCTA, UNESCO Graduate 400 Youths On ICT
MINISTER of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has charged graduands of the recently concluded United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO/FCTA YouthMobile Information and Communication Technology (ICT), project in the FCT, to use the skills they had acquired for nation building.
The minister gave the charge in Abuja on Thursday, during the graduation of 400 participants of the UNESCO/FCTA YouthMobile Project in the FCT, drawn mainly from Abuja Municipal and Bwari Area Councils.
Bello, represented by the FCTA permanent secretary, Mr. Christian Ohaa, said the next phase had been scheduled for Gwagwalada and would involve 600 participants, covering the southern axis of the FCT, namely Kuje, Kwali, Abaji, and Gwagwalada Area Councils.
He said the FCT Administration had committed over N96.7 million by way of counterpart
funding to match UNESCO’s support of N42million.
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The minister, while congratulating the participants, urged them to justify the investment of
both the global community and the home government towards the realisation of their full
potentials, by starting their own businesses where necessary.
Bello said beneficiaries had been given skills required to excel, adding that government and the larger society expected them to translate these skills to increased productivity and
employment.
According to the minister, “The importance of knowledge, they say, is not in having it, but in using it. Similarly, to whom much is given, much is expected.
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“I therefore urge you all to leverage the skills you have acquired for self-actualisation and for nation-building. Let this serve as a clarion call for you all to live up to this dream and to brace up to the challenges of starting off your own businesses where necessary as well as being the torch-bearers of change.”
Malam Bello expressed appreciation to the UNESCO for the successful conclusion of the first
segment of the YouthMobile project, adding that the knowledge gained would enable
participants to contribute towards the building of inclusive knowledge-based society by
leveraging ICTs skills.
“I am glad to note the engagement of 15 beneficiaries from the first batch by SAP (a global
leading software company) who served as facilitators at the 2017 Africa Code Week. Without doubt, the beneficiaries have been given skills required to excel and we expect it to translate to increased youth productivity and employment. Similarly, we hope it will also help in the promotion of peaceful co-existence amongst themselves and in our various communities,” the minister stated.
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In his own remarks, the director and representative of UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja, Yao Yido said the spirit of the education and cultural arm of the world body was to engage and partner with young women and men, in promoting peace, preventing violent extremism and engaging them meaningfully.
He noted that the youth stood at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adding that UNESCO was working across the board to support them not as beneficiaries but as leaders playing vital roles at local, national and global levels.
Yido also disclosed that discussions were on to work together with the Lagos State government to empower 4,000 unemployed youths in the state.
