Concerned by the need reduce Nigeria’s unemployment rate and to assist the citizens survive after the fuel subsidy removal, the Lagos State Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) former chairman, Muiz. Banire, and others, have advised youths especially graduates, to focus on acquiring multiple skills that conform with the current global trends.
They argued that unlike in the past when one single skill learned by an individual guarantees him automatic employment and patronage from people, the current trend required that one can multi-task, having better skills of what happens in other sub-sector of his industry and other relevant sectors to his across the country.
Addressing their participants yesterday at the fourth National Council Of Muslim Youth Organizations (NACOMYO), Lagos State Chapter’s Mid-term retreat/ workshop conference held in Ikeja with theme: Leadership Governance and Economic Imperative: Muslim Youths in Post Subsidy Era, they unanimously stated that most skills that automatically guaranteed employment and a healthy income for previous generations had been made redundant by technological advancement.
They noted that unlike in the past when firms employ an individual solely to perform one single act as an employee, the current employers often requested for an individual that can perform atleast dual role.
According to them, the idea of employing one person for a task has become obsolete because employers of labours’ new idea is to get services of anyone that could offer services in other field.
Ogunlende, who spoke on the topic, Harnessing Technology for Youths Development: Strategy for thriving in the subsidy free era, stressed that the education status of people in a country determines the nations’ development, saying we as individuals need to improve our education level by acquiring more skills if we want the nation to also improve and serve our desire.
The commissioner, who was represented by Abdullahi Abdulkareem, noted that the sector which Nigerians especially youths should consider is advancing technological status of the country.
“This is one major area countries currently use to advance and become better than others. And Nigerian must not be left out.
“To achieve this, the youths, who certainly constitute the major percentage of the country’s population and the variant member of the nation, should work on this. And I believe that if they work on this area that I alighted, Nigeria will be the better for it and our communities will serve us well.
“I expect you, the youths, to see technology advancement as a means to survive and thrive during the post-subsidy period”, he added.
Corroborating the commissioner, Banire, who was represented by Abdul-Ganiyu Munirudeen, stated that the current trend globally dictate that youths acquire and develop their skills, knowledge and character to excel in various fields and industry.
According to him, We all must understand that yesterday, the world goldmine was crude oil but today, it is ICT. Tomorrow, it will be Islamic finance. It is time for us to leverage on this to better ourselves and the nation.
Meanwhile, Banire, who spoke on Leadership, Governance and Economic Imperative: Muslim Youth in Post Subsidy Era, cautioned the youths not to use additional skills acquired to cut corners rather to embrace hard work while creating wealth and prosperity for themselves as well as their community.
“As Muslim youths, we have a unique advantage which were values and principles, these we should bring to bear upon our exploit. We must draw from our rich heritage to guide us in our pursuit of excellence and to make positive impact in our society. It is time for us to seize the available opportunities to build a brighter future for ourselves and the community as well as our nation”.
Earlier, the Coordinator for the chapter, Ishaq Salami, explained that the retreat/workshop was designed to impact on youths new idealogies that would expose them to benefits available within their communities and the world.
While disclosing that trainings were included in the programme packed for workshop, he said that impacts of previous editions had on the country especially Lagos have encouraged the organization to identify needs of the youths and organise programme to proffer solutions on them.
“Just like the previous training, we will like the youths to practice what they have been thought after leaving the retreat/workshop for their respective communities.
‘The previous retreat was on agriculture and we are happy that many youths ventured into it. This one as well, we are expecting that the youths will take advantage of the training they will be acquiring here to improve their status in the society.
“We will want that some of the youths status change from unemployed, semi-employed to employers of labour across the country. And that is what we want to see going forward”.
