Youth Initiative for Sustainable Development and Creative Change (YISDCC), an NGO, has urged government at all levels to invest in entrepreneurial skills acquisition to promote national development and reduce unemployment.
Director of YISDCC, Mr Anthony Adio, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen recently in Bwari, FCT.
He said that lack of adequate entrepreneurial skills platform to encourage people to engage themselves meaningfully contributed to unemployment, especially among youths.
He also said that the call for entrepreneurial skills became imperative, because of the potentials inherent in skills acquisition, such as hand craft, beads making among others.
He, therefore, called for adequate skills centre across the country to promote such programmes.
“We are at a point where there is a strong need to ensure youth development, the level of unemployment is not palatable in any way.
“What governments have not done is to take action geared toward tackling unemployment, which is reason for urgent steps to be taken toward that direction as way forward.
“Youths form major chunk of Nigeria population and are the future leaders of the society, therefore, there is need to direct energies into doing useful things, using skills acquisition.
“The attitude of young people waiting for white collar jobs after graduation could result into their indulging in vices, due to unemployment.
“Governments must invest in entrepreneurial skills training to encourage people to become self-employed and also self-reliant,” he said.
Adio listed the advantage of investment in an entrepreneurial skills programme to include the promotion of value orientation and contribution to nation’s building.