The Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Nura Kangiwa on Wednesday emphasised the importance of skills acquisition in eradicating poverty and unemployment.
Kangiwa said this at the Skills Acquisition and Empowerment of Youths and Women in Arts and Crafts at the Oshogbo Campus of the Institute.
Kangiwa who spoke through Dr. Taiwo Famogbiyele, Director Research and Development and General Studies of the Institute at the occasion said the objective of the Oshogbo Campus training is to empower participants with the necessary vocational and entrepreneurial skills in Nigerian Arts and Crafts towards creating economic stability and national security, urging the trainees to see themselves as very lucky and fortunate individuals chosen for the training who should at the end be functionally active in the line of the nation’s economic activities.
The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Hon. Adebisi Obawale Simeon, represented at the occasion by Mr. Adeniyi Samuel, Coordinating Director of Tourism in the state ministry said vocational skill acquisition and empowerment will go a long way in bridging the existing gap in relevant skills in the country’s Arts and Crafts entrepreneur for economic growth and development.
He expressed the appreciation of the Osun State government to NIHOTOUR and its leadership for bringing the vital human capital and capacity development exercise to the state, noting that his Ministry will continue to collaborate and partner with the Institute in all areas of capacity development for the Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry in the state.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Coordinator and Head of the Oshogbo Campus of the Institute, Dr. Tijjani Olawale Nasiru said the training couldn’t have come at a better time than now when the vision of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty, adding that acquisition of vocational skills as embarked upon by NIHOTOUR, is the surest way to create jobs, fight poverty and enhance the living standards of the people.
The Oshogbo training program under the caption: SKILLS ACQUISITION AND EMPOWERMENT FOR YOUTHS AND WOMEN IN ARTS AND CRAFTS trained participants in batik and adire making, leather works, hair weaving, braiding and styling and shoe making by which they have been empowered to be self-employed and self-reliant.
