The Michael Imoudu National Institute For Labour Studies (MINILS) in Ilorin, Kwara State has trained twenty five Nigerian Youths in tailoring, garment and fashion designing.
The trainees were drawn from Plateau, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Imo, Zamfara, Borno, Jigawa, Ekiti and Kwara States.
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The training, which lasted for three weeks, was declared closed by the Director General of the Institute, Issa Aremu and supported by a traditional ruler in the state, the Onikotun of Ikotun, Abdulrasaq Adebayo Abioye, Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), among others.
Speaking at the event, the Director- General said the idea of the programme was part of the institute’s efforts to be involved in the 8th point agenda of Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu which includes creating jobs for the youth through skills acquisition rather than total dependence on white collar jobs.
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“If our youths are well employed, it is good for all of us. This is exactly what we have done today to show that the only way for our youths to have jobs is first to bring back the industries, secondly, to make sure they have skills to be self employed,” he said .
According to him, the institute did not only train the participants but also provided them with financial support and different types of tools including sewing machines.
He added that the institute was changing the narrative and story of the country and the entire African continent from violence on the part of the youth but rather embarking on skillful programmes that would move the country and the continent forward.
Aremu declared that the new way the nation can move forward or get out of poverty was to work harder and guard against being a beggar nation that depends solely on loans from other countries of the world but rather look inwards and go into local production and not just a consuming country.
In his remarks, the Onikotun of Ikotun-Ile, Abdulrasaq Adebayo Abioye urged Nigerians to apply the spirit of solidarity for the nation to grow.
The Monarch commended the institute for embarking on the skill acquisition training programme which according to him, would further engage the youth in meaningful ventures and discourage them from criminal activities .
The Onikotun advised the trainees to make good use of the skills and the equipment they have acquired and in turn train others.
The Head of the Vocational Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Centre of the institute, Rasaq Ajayi Adeyemi commended the institute for embarking on the programme and expressed satisfaction with the attention and technical knowledge the trainees demonstrated throughout the three weeks activities.
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Adeyemi said the training would enable them to expand their businesses as they have learned the ethics of the tailoring, garment and fashion designing profession.
Two of the trainees who spoke on behalf of others, Mary Francis from Gombe State and Adisa Lukman from Maiduguri in Borno State, thanked the management and staff of the institute for the skills they acquired and for the financial and material support they were given and promised to make judicious use of the knowledge and the equipment.
