Birnin Kebbi – The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonaya Onu, on Monday inaugurated a skills training programme for 500 women and youth in Kebbi.
The minister said in Birnin Kebbi during the event that it was part of the government’s determination to reduce pressure on the currency and increase national savings to strengthen the economy.
He said that the training was also to promote the country’ s indigenous productivity, so as to reduce importation and pressure on the currency.
“We shall remain resolute and determined in pursuit of this noble goal.
“We will not rest until we build an economy that will be competitive and diversified in a sustainable manner,” he said.
Onu added that the government would continue to use science, technology and innovation to create new entrepreneurs to stimulate growth of small and medium scale industries.
“We hope in the near future, the programme will hold the promise of emerging into multinational corporations of added value to the economic growth of our beloved country, ” he said.
The minister commended Gov. Atiku Bagudu, for partnering with the ministry to address the challenges of entrepreneurial development in the state.
Earlier, the Director-General, National Board for Technology Incubation, Dr Muhammed Jibrin, disclosed that the 500 participants were drawn from the 21 local government areas of the state.
He expressed the hope that the trainees would further impact the knowledge they acquired to others in their localities.
Jibrin urged entrepreneurs to maintain linkages with the board to add more value to their products.
In his remarks, the governor thanked President Muhammad Buhari and the minister for providing the training opportunities to youth in the state.
He urged the trainees to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire life-long skills and contribute meaningfully to national development.
The News Agency of Nigeria [NAN] reports that the training would be in 15 different skills including yoghurt and juice production, shoe making and leather works, paint making, preservation of perishable agricultural produce.
Other areas were fish/poultry farming and feed preparation, fermented food condiment production, plumbing and vulcanizing, beads making, home decoration, among others.