An NGO, Ladi Memorial Foundation (LMF), has donated over 1000 garments to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) at Durumi, Abuja, in commemoration of “2023 World Youth Skills Day”.
The Executive Director of LMF, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya said the garments were made by youths between ages 12 to 18 from the just concluded Incentivized Pilot Sewing Schools’ Championship 2023 (SSCP23) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Osikoya said the SSCP23 had a participation of over 1, 000 youths across the six Area Councils in the FCT, where three schools and some individual winners received over 50 Sewing Machines including industrial, manual and special purpose sewing equipment.
She added that the SSCP23 was initiated by LMF, supported by UNESCO, FCT Education Secretariat and other relevant partners.
Osikoya encouraged the youth at the IDP camp to embrace skills acquisition for personal financial empowerment, saying the garments being donated were made by youths like them.
The executive director said the garment industry has the potential to lift millions of Nigerian youths out of poverty.
“We are actually saying education cannot solve all our problems. The clothing industry in Nigeria, if properly harnessed, will compete with other countries like India. Bangladesh and the rest of world while our economy is also growing,” she said.
Osikoya opined that education provided a platform for mentorship and nurturing but emphasised that more attention should be paid to skills, especially for the younger generation.
“Imagine if every school in Nigeria is providing workshop for skills training, we will be able provide solutions to our basic needs of shelter, food and clothing and not just to speak English,” she stated.
