From Abel Leonard, Lafia
In a stark acknowledgment of the challenges facing Nigeria’s growing youth population, Mrs. Zainab Aliyu, Deputy Registrar at the National Teachers Institute (NTI) Kaduna, has stressed the urgent need for entrepreneurship as a means to combat unemployment.
Speaking during a specialized two-day training program in Lafia Local Government Area, Nasarawa State at the end of the training yesterday, Aliyu remarked, “The government cannot provide jobs for every graduate or polytechnic leaver in Nigeria because we are too large in number.”
Mrs. Zainab who served as a resource person at the event highlighted the importance of self-employment, particularly in light of the limited capacity of the government to provide jobs for the country’s burgeoning population. “Entrepreneurship is all about being economically independent,” Aliyu stated. “
Aliyu drew comparisons to other populous nations, noting that, “Like countries such as India and China, which also have large populations, it is the small entrepreneurship establishments that sustain their economies.”
With a turnout exceeding expectations, Aliyu noted, “We projected to train 70 participants, but the number is quite impressive; I believe we have over 95 or 96% attendance.” She encouraged the participants to fully engage with the training, emphasizing the opportunities it presents. “They know why they are here, and I believe they have the determination to succeed,” she concluded.
Sun reports that the training, organized by NTI in partnership with CANONIC Associates Limited, aimed to equip 72 youth, predominantly female, with skills in hairdressing and barbing, providing them with the tools to establish their own businesses and become economically independent.
Architect Josephine Tanimu, Head of Operations at CANONIC Associates Limited, emphasized the goal of the program, stating, “We’re here for the entrepreneurship skills training for youth in selected areas of Lafia Local Government.
The aim is to train the selected participants in hairdressing and barbing.” She added that the program, which drew 72 participants—55 of whom were female—was not merely an empowerment scheme but a comprehensive entrepreneurial training.
“It’s not an empowerment skill; it’s entrepreneurial,” Tanimu clarified. “We have a little offering—more like stipends and a few startup kits. Nothing big, but something very small, to aid with the startup for the participants present here today.”