Governor Prince Bassey Otu, through the Ministry of Youth Development and Skills Acquisition, led by the Hon. Commissioner, Barr. Odum-Ijom Ukam in the company of senior officials of the Ministry and executives of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) paid an inspection visit to the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Calabar Area Office for an on the spot assessment of ITF’s facilities and equipments in its continued effort to secure more collaborations and partnerships in furtherance of the skills in the hands initiative of the Cross River State Government.
Before the inspection, the Area Manager of ITF Calabar Area Office, Engr. Gyang Y. Davou, welcomed the delegation from the Cross River State Ministry of Youth Development and Skills Acquisition to his office in Calabar. During the meeting, Hon. Ukam outlined the objectives of the visit, emphasizing the ministry’s commitment to assessing and evaluating the facilities and equipment domiciled in the ITF which is required for the proposed youth skill training and empowerment across the three (3) senatorial districts of Cross River State.
Hon. Ukam further elaborated on the state government’s youth skills acquisition initiative, tagged ‘Skills in the Hands’, introduced under the able leadership of Governor Otu. This program aims to empower young people with practical skills that will provide them with financial stability and self-sufficiency. He highlighted that, recently skill acquisition training, empowerment and grant distribution were largely concentrated within the state capital. However, recognizing the need for inclusivity, Governor Otu has taken proactive steps to extend these opportunities to all the senatorial districts through the deployment of ITF’s mobile training workshops fully equipped with standard world class training facilities and personnel.
The commissioner also mentioned his upcoming visit to Abuja to engage with officials from the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and other development partners to seek more collaboration and support towards the full scale implementation of the Skills-in-the-Hands initiative of the Cross River State Government. These proposed collaborations seeks to enhance the youth skill acquisition efforts of the state by securing additional logistics support and resources in furtherance of the Skills-in-the-Hands initiative.
Regarding security measures, Hon. Ukam assured that respective local government councils would be responsible for ensuring a safe and conducive environment for the training sessions within their respective areas.
During the inspection, Engr. Gyang Y. Davou emphasized the importance of strong collaboration between ITF and the state government to ensure the seamless and effective implementation of the *Skills-in-the-Hands* initiative. He reassured the commissioner that the mobile workshop trucks were in good condition and ready for immediate deployment.
This initiative represents a significant step towards youth empowerment in Cross River State, providing young people with the needed practical skills and resources to build sustainable livelihoods.
In attendance was the permanent secretary of the Cross River State Ministry of Youth Development and Skill Acquisition, Dr. Gabriel Ukwada, Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Cross River State Chapter, Nurse Emmanuel Olayi, top management staff of ITF, other officials of ITF and the Cross River State Ministry of Youth Development and Skills Acquisition.
