By Philip Yatai

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) says on Friday that equipping Nigerian youths with relevant skills is critical to the nation’s drive for sustainable development.

The Mr Ayo Aroge, General Manager, NBTE Centre of Excellence, said this in Kaduna, at an event to commemorate the 2022 World Youth Skills Day.

The event was organised by the NBTE Centre of Excellence and its Research, Innovation and Development Unit in collaboration with the Entrepreneurship Development Centre, Kaduna Polytechnic.

It was organised for students of Kaduna Polytechnic to showcase their skills, in line with the 2022 WYSD with the theme, “Transforming Youth Skills for the Future”.

Aroge, who was represented by the Desk Officer, NBTE Research, Innovation and Development Unit, Dr Zakari Abdullahi, said that upskilling of the youth had become increasingly necessary to addressing youth unemployment.

He stressed the importance of providing proper training to the youth and creating skills for decent work, employment, and entrepreneurship.

The general manager said that skills for decent work, employment and entrepreneurship were critical to addressing youth unemployment and ensuring sustainable development.

According to him, the WYSD is being celebrated worldwide on July 15 every year since 2014.

He said that the objective of the WYSD, set aside by the United Nations, was to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

“The event is to honour and provide opportunities for young people with spaces for dialogue with educational institutions, employers, policymakers, and development partners,” he said.

Earlier, Dr Suleiman Umar, Rector, Kaduna Polytechnic, said that youths’ skill empowerment was core to the training being offered by Kaduna Polytechnic to close the skills gap in the country.

Umar, who was represented by the Registrar, Mr Mohammed Sani, urged parents to consider empowering their children with profitable skills while providing them with the needed education.

This, according to him, will enable youths to be self-employed and employers of labour, and help them to thrive in the world of dwindling white collar jobs.

He commended the NBTE for its untiring efforts to promote skills among the Nigerian youthful population, to drive the country’s sustainable development agenda.

Mr Muneer Umar, Director, Entrepreneurship Development Centre, Kaduna Polytechnic, also thanked NBTE for the collaboration and given the youth the opportunity to showcase their skills.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students showcased skills on printing technology, mechatronics, civil engineering, food technology, chemical engineering, fashion, photography, computer science, mechanical engineering, building technology and hospitality electrical wiring. (NAN)