Recession: German Govt, Amosun, Chambers, make case for vocational training
The German government has charged Nigeria to strengthen her campaign against the abating recession with vocational skills development, especially among youths.
The Head, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce, Nigeria, Dr. Marc Lucassen, wants Nigeria to learn from the German government which does not have crude oil nor rich in agricultural resources yet she had been able to boost her GDP and reduce unemployment to the lowest through Dual Vocational Training (DVT).
He called Nigeria to adopt a public-private partnership initiative in realizing the goal of DVT.
Lucassen spoke alongside other experts during the graduation ceremony of the first batch of apprentices in Office Administration Profession in Ogun state organized in collaboration with the German Dual Vocational Training Partnership with Nigeria (G-DVTPW-N).
According to the G-DVTPW-N programme coordinator, Engr. Kehinde Stephen Awoyele, the programme is an initiative of the German government and is geared towards raising the employability bar of Nigerian youths and reducing poverty in the country.
The programme is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and conducted by sequag GmbH with Giessen-Friedberg as the project partner.
Speaking on the relevance of the DVT partnership to the ongoing Economic Recovery Plan and Growth of the federal government, the Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, noted that vocational training builds skills development necessary for efficiency and productivity in any given country and raises the bar of employment and entrepreneurship.
Amosun, who was represented at the occasion by the state Commissioner for Commerce, Otunba Bimbo Asiru, stated that if well harnessed with all the necessary collaboration from the private sector, DVT would effectively check the rise of unemployment and contribute meaningfully to economic growth in Nigeria.
The deputy chairman, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Chief (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson in her brief speech for the function, described DVT as a missing link in economy development in Nigeria.
