Abuja – The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has called on the Federal Government to develop a national skill policy to bridge the skill gap and create jobs for unemployed youths.
The President of the ACCI, Mr Tony Ejinkeonye, made the call on Friday at the graduation ceremony of 17 participants in a vocational training in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that nine of them were trained in technical facility management while eight trained in office administration.
Ejinkeonye, who was represented by the 1st Deputy President of the ACCI, Mr Kayode Adetokunbo, said skill development was critical to job and wealth creation.
“I want to suggest that the Federal Government should have a clear skill development policy that would address unemployment in Nigeria,’’ the ACCI president said.
Ejinkeonye also suggested that the policy must provide that students leaving secondary school must acquire vocational skills before proceeding to tertiary institutions.
The Acting Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mr Dickson Onuoha, said the ITF was working with the United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to identify the skills gap.
Onuoha, represented by the Director, Revenue Inspectorate and Compliance, ITF, Mrs Lola Gbadamosi, said that at the completion of assessment of the skill gap, it would be captured in the national skill development policy.
Also, Dr Jens Gebharde, a facilitator at the training, said the German Government was collaborating with ACCI to train people in vocational skills to spread the skills across the country.
Gebharde said that the German Dual Vocational Training started in 2012 in Nigeria, aimed at training participants in technical facility management and office administration.
According to him, it is also aimed at empowering Nigerians to create jobs and wealth for the nation. (NAN)
Chamber urges FG to initiate policy on skill gap, create jobs
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