The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has ended the training of 3,300 beneficiaries in Hardware, Software, Animation, script writing, and other life skills under the N-Knowledge programme.

The beneficiaries have been in residential training since February 2023.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the N-Knowledge Expansion training in Abuja on Wednesday, April 5, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, said the programme is focused on equipping young Nigerians with relevant skills and certification to become competent workers, innovators, and entrepreneurs prepared for both the domestic and global digital job market.

Fayouq urged the beneficiaries to make optimum use of the opportunity given to them to become solution providers and entrepreneurs in their communities.

She said: “I am specifically here to symbolically bid farewell to all the trainees of the N-Knowledge training programme for the six geo-political zones of the country.

“It is designed to achieve Mr President’s goal of poverty reduction and job creation, most especially as it targets the unemployed youth for competence building and gainful employment. The N-Power helps young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills to become solution providers and entrepreneurs in their communities.

“During the training sessions where you all learnt the core components of the programme in the respective tracks, there were well-organised curricular meant to shape you in the choice of your trades to become useful to yourselves and develop competencies which will increase production and add to the overall growth of the society.

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“You will confirm by now that N-Knowledge programme is focused on equipping young Nigerians with relevant skills and certification to become competent workers, innovators and entrepreneurs prepared for both the domestic and global digital job market.

“The training targeted at developing competencies of the youth in software development, Hardware handling and application of ICT in the creative industry, are catalysts to mainstreaming the Nigerian youth to at least take advantage of the outsourcing market for software development.”

The minister also advised the beneficiaries against selling their starter packs and urged them to use the devices given to them to become independent entrepreneurs in the society.

Farouq further thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts in eradicating poverty and for supporting and sustaining the National Social Investment Programme.

Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, commended the beneficiaries for their good behaviour throughout the training and urged them to maintain same thereafter.

The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by the National Coordinator, Engr Umar Bindir, also wished them a successful apprenticeship period ahead while maximizing the opportunity given to them.

The beneficiaries will earn a stipend of N10,000 monthly for the 9 months period of their apprenticeship.

Others at the event were directors of the ministry, the Administrator and CEO of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, Dr Ganiyu Obatoyimbo, among others.

The Star