An entrepreneur, Madam Elizabeth Manasseh Jaja, has identified lack of skills and entrepreneurship as factors responsible for unemployment among youth and graduates.
Speaking with The Tide in an interview in Port Harcourt, Jaja, urged Nigerian youth and graduates to embrace skills programmes of government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), among others with enthusiasm, as according to her, they could be the turning point for the future, if they assimilated the lesson well.
She reminded the youth and graduates of the need to attain self-reliance with the template that they could get in the period of the programme, adding that they had the opportunity to build on their skill areas, when they are employed.
According to her, “Participating in various skills programmes is a rare privilege for you to give your positive attributes full expression, to blossom and find fulfilment. I am confident that with the attainment of these attributes through constructive engagement, you would sooner than later be a chief executive officer (CEO) and a wealth creator rather than a pensive, disillusioned and frustrated youth, pounding the streets of major cities of this country, looking for elusive jobs.”
She described skills acquisition programmes as basic for fruitful future, adding that there were business skills available for the youths of this nation.
She charged youth to master the art of writing bankable proposals that could help them attract financing for the business they envisaged, adding that the importance attached in the art provides lasting business legacy that could scout for loans as partners.
She, however, disclosed that they must recognise that they form part of the Nigerian elite class, and cannot afford to be in position as those that did not go to school.

Bethel Toby