Article Citation: Mannir Abba & Bagudu, Alhaji Adamu (2021). Empowering Youths through Skills Acquisition Programmes: The Surest Way for Community Economic Development in Nigeria. DEGEL: The Journal of the Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies, Vol. 19, No. 1. ISSN 0794-9316
EMPOWERING YOUTHS THROUGH SKILLS ACQUISITION PROGRAMMES: THE
SUREST WAY FOR COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
By
Mannir Abba & Bagudu,
Alhaji Adamu
Abstract
One of
the debates among patriotic Nigerians is increasing aspiration for sustained
structural transformation of the Nation’s Economy. This paper examined emerging
issues in Nigeria Youths Empowerment programmes for sustainable community
economic development. Various ways in which the Nation’s economy can be
transformed through effective youth’s empowerment programmes, various agencies
involved in youths empowerment scheme and existing skills acquisition
programmes that require much attention for sustainable community economic
development were also highlighted in this paper. Finally, the paper suggested
among others that all hands should be on deck to see to the total success in
youth empowerment efforts for the attainment of sustainable community economic
development in Nigeria.
Introduction
In most
cases the growth in the economy of any society is a clear indication of an
improvement in the socio-economic well-being of its people. A deterioration in
the economic growth rate of most developing countries is thus a manifestation
of the fall in the standard of living of the people that cumulates into
poverty. Nigeria is blessed with abundant human and natural resources. The
nation’s experience according to African Development Bank (ADB, 2008) is
pathetic having witnessed a fall in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from an
annual average rate of 10.5 percent in 1985 to 3.2 percent in 2007.
Subsequently, Commission of the African Union (2005) reported that the country
also witnessed a decline in its per capita income from US $1600 in 1980 to US
$1160 in 2008. One of the consequences of these declines is the rate of poverty
more especially among unemployed Nigerian youths which has increased from 28.1
percent in 1980 to 88 percent in the year 2002. However, the managers of the
nation’s economy have become more enthusiastic in promoting the nation
believing that only a substantial increase in productivity could turn around
the economy (Ahmed, 2008).
Increased
productivity alone may not be a panacea for the country’s woes, but the level
of commitments and discipline which bring about increased productivity together
with self-reliance consciousness constitute the path to economic
transformation. The position and role of Nigerian Youth is that of a prime
over. If youths are of prime importance in transforming the Nation’s economy
there is need to get them vocationally empowered through skills acquisition
programmes so as to be sufficiently committed and to enable them contribute
their utmost towards realizing the objectives of poverty reduction and economic
development in the country.
Abba
(2016) views skills acquisition programme as an integral part of national
development strategies in many communities because of the impact on human and
economic growth. It has been noted that vocational skills acquisition
programmes are designed to offer training to improve individual’s general
proficiency, especially in relation to their present or future occupation.
However, vocational skills acquisition programmes have continued to thrive in
many societies. Over the years, Commission of the African Union (2005) notes
that various governments in
Nigeria embarked on so many youth empowerment programmes through skills
acquisition programmes for poverty alleviation and sustainable economic growth
purpose in the country. Despite all these efforts, it appears that the
situation is not better than what it was before the advent of this programme in
2012. Instead of the empowerment programmes provided to provide Nigerian youths
with the skills to become productive entrepreneurs and engender creative and
innovative ideas that would enlarge the nation’s economic pie, and increase
personal freedom, unfortunately, Ahmed (2008) notes that Nigeria is not taking
the issue seriously to the extent that the programme turned to be unfavorable
policy to many Nigerian youths because the policy is indirectly not in favor of
common man or woman but rather in favor of some government officials and their
family members. This is because most of the youths were given access to the
empowerment programmes for reasons of direct or indirect connection with ruling
political party of their state or local government rather than making it for
general or equal access to every Nigerian.
In
addition to this, African Development Bank (ADB, 2008) believes that despite
its proven contribution, Nigeria does not seem to give deserved attention and
effective planning to youth empowerment through skills acquisition programme;
and that appears one of the reasons for the rising unemployment and poverty
especially among the teaming youths in Nigeria. This paper therefore, argues
that effective planning in skills acquisition programmes is the missing link in
Nigeria’s poverty reduction and economic transformation efforts in the country.
In order to actualise the desired objectives of poverty and community economic
development in Nigeria, proper planning and attention should be given to
vocational skills acquisition programmes. The skills acquisition programmes for
youth empowerment should include: agro – based vocational skills acquisition
programmes, carpentry and joinery work skills acquisition programmes, dress
making skills acquisition programmes, hair dressing skills acquisition
programmes, knitting skills acquisition programmes, laundry and dry cleaning
services skills acquisition programmes, metalwork skills acquisition
programmes, and soap and pomade making skills acquisition programmes
Conceptual Framework: Concept of Vocational Skills Acquisition
The term
“skills acquisition” is best defined from the point of view of the learner, as
the process of obtaining knowledge of a technical and practical nature from an
individual, group, or institution that can impart such knowledge. Skills are
more commonly used in the context of trades, occupations, and vocations and are
usually aimed at practical purposes. A common opinion of the concept of skills
according to Glym and Tracey (2012) is that it refers to crafts and trades at
the lower level of the economic ladder. To moderate the tag of inferiority that
this vista confers on the concept of skills acquisition, a less objectionable
description should be “technical training” or, “technicians training” as
training is understood to be different from the broader concept of education.
In
essence, skills acquisition –call it technical training-is aimed at ensuring
self-reliance for the end products and thus practice must be emphasised over
theory. The term “skill” as described by Abba (2016) is the habit of doing
something well, especially skill gained through training or experience. Skills
is classified into technical and human skills that technical skills are those
skills that call for proficiency in specific activities, particularly those
involving methods, processes, procedures or techniques for their effective
performance. Human skill on the other hand deals with skills acquired through
years of experience or training for proficiency on the job.
In the
view of Okpoko (2006), a person who works productively is skilled because
he/she acquired the habit of performing a task in an acceptable manner within
his job, the possession of skills marks a difference between a professional and
an amateur. Skill is the learned capacity to carry out predetermined results
often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both.
While
the term “vocational skills acquisition programmes” are vocational programmes
that involve the acquisition of skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for
effective employment in specific occupation. In the context of this paper,
vocational skills acquisition programme refers to any form of education whose
primary purpose is to prepare youth for employment in recognised occupations.
In the
word of Glym and Tracey (2012), vocational skills acquisition programmes are
designed and provided for a wide range of job-related skills that are both
relevant and essential to employment opportunities that exist within a
particular institution as well as in the community. It involves the acquisition
of skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for effective employment in
specific occupation.
Community Development
A common
definition of community development is not simple to attain, nor is it
universally agreed upon. Part of the confusion rests with the fact that
community development is both process and product. The practice of community
development is not one focused solely on material resource development, nor is
it devoted exclusively to systems for addressing community needs (Nzeneri, 2002). Oviawe and Aluyor (2009) argued that community development
should be viewed as “a continuous or intermittent process of social action by
which the people of a community organize themselves informally or formally for
democratic planning and action, define their common group” felt” needs and
problems, make group and individual plans to meet their felt needs and solve
their problems, execute these plans with a maximum of reliance upon resources
found within the community and supplement community resources when necessary.
Economic Development
Since
1960, economic development has been conceptualised: as a term of expanding
capital base, inducing competitive economic climate which results in the
distribution of the direct gains of production. According to Ahmed (2008), a
rise in manpower, capital, technology, living standards, manufacturing and
agro-allied production, has for long been accepted as productivity indicator.
The benefits of this surplus have to be distributed and re-invested for
economic development in a manner in order to maintain progressive improvement
in productivity A common alternative for measuring economic development has
been using the rate of growth of income per capita or per capita Growth
National Product (GNP), which expresses the ability of a country to expand its
output at a rate faster than the growth rate of its population (monetary growth
of GNP per capita minus the rate of inflation). The GNP per capita according to
Africa Development Bank (ADB, 2008) is used to measure the overall economic
well-being of the population, expressing the amount of real goods and services
that is available to the average citizen for consumption and investment.
Economic development encompasses progress in providing livelihood on a
sustainable basis, access to education and basic healthcare for the majority of
the population. The meaning of the term “development” becomes clearer with the
understanding of the term “economic growth”. Economic growth is measured by the
increase in a country’s per capita GNP. According to Okpoko (2006), economic
growth is thus sustained expansion of production possibilities measured as an
increase in the real GDP over a given period.
Recently,
however, economic development is defined in terms of the quality of life of the
majority of the population. Abba (2012) noted that the experience of the 1950s
and 1960s when many developing nations failed to realised their economic growth
targets and the quality of life of the majority of their people remained for
the most part unchanged, signaled that something was very wrong with this
narrow definition of development. The Nigerian economy inspire of the rapid
pace of its modernization is still largely under developed. It is apt to note
therefore, that the country- has achieved through the various development
plans, some economic growth but with limited development. Efforts made by
government to alleviate these economic problem from the economic stabilization
(temporary provision) Act of 1982, deregulating the economy, National Minimum
Wage, Act of 1981, Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) reforms of Obasanjo's
administration of 1999-2007 have yielded limited success which are manifested
in the trend of domestic output and community economic development.
All these
go to show that the country’s resources are neither fully-nor efficiently
utilized. Youth empowerment through skills acquisition programmes therefore
should be given the utmost attention it deserves, since productivity remains a
vital source of economic growth and development.
The Nigerian Youths
In the
context of Nigeria's historical experience, youths have rendered valuable
contributions to the struggle for liberation and national development.
According to Abba (2012), youths constitute a reservoir of energy and dynamism
for national transformation if they are correctly guided, mobilized and fully
integrated into the social rubric of the nation. They can also constitute a
threat to national survival and stability if they are away from purposeful
direction. No nation aspiring to national greatness and prosperity can afford
to ignore the youths. The repercussion would be that of allowing them to
constitute a major social problem. They are a vital source of manpower and do
possess leadership potential, and are full of future promises. Once these innate
potentials in them are fully exploited and proper handled, their contribution
to community economic development can be immense.
Masari
(2015) noted that the youths in Nigeria, that is, persons between the ages 6-30
years, form about 59 percent of the population. According to National
Productivity Centre (2007), the active proportion of the productivity active
group among the youth i.e. persons between the ages of 15-30; constitute 47
percent of the productive population of the country. This therefore means that
the youth population in the country is a big reserve of labour. With
appropriate training and guidance, the youth can provide the manpower need of
the country and if they are able to develop talents and are inculcated sense of
responsibility, they can make positive contributions to community economic
development.
Government Agencies Supporting Youths
Empowerment Scheme for Economic Restructuring in Nigeria
In the first place, it is
the government realization of the importance of productivity-driven economy
that brought about the National Productivity Centre and other agencies.
Government agencies that are involved in Youth Empowerment Scheme directly or
indirectly according to National Productivity Centre (2007) are:
i. Small and
Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
ii. Nigerian
Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB) of Nigeria.
iii. National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
Vocational Skills Acquisition Programmes for Youths Empowerment
and Community Economic Development
The
patriotic commitment to Nation Building is a duty of all citizens. No single
individual can undertake the role of building a nation. Such patriotic but
complex task requires that the youths should be productively mobilised and
challenged to pay their own dues as it were. There are various endowments in
any given society. All these talents can be productively harnessed and utilised
to form the strong pillars upon which the nation is built. There is therefore,
the need to sensitise our youths to the basic tenets of productivity.
Absenteeism can be cut down, lateness to work, extravagance and unnecessary
excuses if the nation wants to be seen as working more productively. It is
through such resolve that most of those nations who, a little more than a decade
ago were economic underdogs have emerged in the global polity to be counted
among the economic tigers of the world today (Ahmed, 2008).
However,
in the process of empowering youths for sustainable community economic
development, it is very important to alleviate poverty which is one of the
factors militating against Nigeria’s economic development effort. For youth
empowerment and sustainable community economic development agenda to succeed in
the country, vocational skills acquisition programmes need to be properly
mounted and youths participation needs to be encouraged by motivating them to
attend the programmes and in turn utilise the skills given to them after
receiving the training. The major skills acquisition programmes that are needed
most for youths empowerment process in Nigeria are agro–based vocational skills
acquisition programmes, carpentry and joinery work skills acquisition
programmes, dress making skills acquisition programmes, hair dressing skills
acquisition programmes, knitting skills acquisition programmes, laundry and dry
cleaning services skills acquisition programmes, metalwork skills acquisition
programmes, and soap and pomade making skills acquisition programmes.
Agro-based vocational skills acquisition programme, is an occupational activity that entails learning skills of
farming in the area of animal husbandry, crop farming and arable farming either
through irrigation or rainy season farming. The agricultural produce may be for
market or for domestic consumption (Kristal, 2015). In the context of this
paper, agro- based vocational skills acquisition programmes for youth
empowerment agro- based vocational skills acquisition programmes involves
occupational activity that entails animal production, crop production, pomology
and arable crop production programme. These activities aims at helping youths
acquire skills of farming occupation for self-reliance as well generate
personal income for personal and community development.
Carpentry and Joinery Work Skills Acquisition Programme: These are compound words that are of different meaning and
functions but relates to one another to some extents. The term carpentry work
according to Kristal (2015) can be defined as the art of working with timber in
order to construct and maintain buildings, furniture and other objects.
Mohammed (2014) notes that a carpenter is a skilled craft person who works with
timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture and other
objects. While joinery work is the art of working with timber in order to
construct and maintain items like book cases, cabinets, doors, windows, stairs
and such special items by joining wood without the use of nails. These
activities are fulfilled by youths for self-reliance and as well enable them to
generate personal income and revenue for community economic development.
Dress Making Skills Acquisition Programme; This is a diverse crafting profession this allows players to use
various cloths and other reagent to armor, bags and even flying carpets. Dress
making enterprise is typically desired by cloth wearing classes (Word of War
craft, 2015). It also entails an activity that involves learning in occupations
that entail measurement, cutting of cloth of different types into different
shapes and designed pattern into a complete dress of different types for market
and domestic use purpose (Udochukwu, 2015).
Hair Dressing Skills Acquisition Programme; has been defined differently by variously scholars.
Victoria, S. (2006) defined the term as an establishment dealing with hair
treatments for men and women. It is an activity that involves provision of
services related to hair decoration for fashion and health benefit. Hair
removal is offered at some beauty salons through treatments such as waxing and
threading. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting,
and hair texturing techniques.
Laundry and Dry cleaning Skills Acquisition Programme; The term dry cleaning refers to cleaning clothes and fabrics
using a chemical solvent rather than water. The cleaning according Dry Cleaning
and Laundry Institute (2007), is done with a liquid but the solvent contains
little or no water and does not penetrate the fibers like water does in a
washer. The solvent used is typically toxic tetrachloroethylene
(perchloroethylene), which the industry calls "perc" or
"PERC". It is used to clean delicate fabrics that cannot withstand
the rough and tumble of a washing machine and clothes dryer; it can also
eliminate labor-intensive hand washing. In the context of this paper, dry
cleaning services skills acquisition is referred to as any cleaning process for
clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water.
Metalwork Skills Acquisition Programme: It involves activities in occupations that entail designing,
processing, welding and fabrication of metal products. Metalwork according to
Ellington (2000) includes activities among others in welding and fabrication of
metal products, soldering and brazing and metalwork hand tools use skills.
However these activities are also classifiably relative to the unskilled,
semiskilled or skilled workers. In Nigeria, the following are typical example
of metalworkers; Jeweler, auto body repair (panel beater), forge operators,
machine operator, fitter (iron bender), sheet metal worker, structural steel
worker, tool maker, welder, blacksmith etc.
Soap Making Skills Acquisition Programme: This involves activities in occupations that entail production
of substance used for washing or cleaning, consisting of a mixture of sodium or
potassium salts of naturally occurring fatty acids. Hence, in the context of
this study, soap making skills acquisition involves continuous processes using
smaller-scale production which involves the traditional batch soap processes.
There are three variations of traditional batch soap processing according to
David, Anneken, Sabine, Georg, Udo and Alfred (2006),: the 'cold process',
wherein the reaction takes place substantially at room temperature, the 'semi
boiled' or 'hot process', wherein the reaction takes place near the boiling
point, and the 'fully boiled process', wherein the reactants are boiled at
least once and the glycerol is recovered.
Pomade Making Skills Acquisition Programme: Pomade is a word actually originated from French. Their
word pommade, meaning “an ointment” came from the Latin pomum (fruit,
apple) via the Italian words pomata from pomo,
meaning “apple”, because the original recipe contained mashed up apples in it.
According to Victoria (2006), pomade making entails an activity that involved
processing of soy wax, It is also“-a scented ointment, especially one used for
the scalp or for dressing the hair.”Unlike hair spray and hair gel, pomade does
not dry and often takes several washes to remove. It can easily be removed
using a high-detergent shampoo or other de-greasers such as dishwashing liquid
and/ or using olive oil or oily shampoo and rinsing with warm water.
Knitting Skills Acquisition Programmes: Knitting is a method by
which yarn is manipulated to create a textile or fabric. Knitting creates
multiple loops of yarn, called stitches, in a line or tube. Knitting has
multiple active stitches on the needle at one time. According to Abba (2016),
it is an activity that involves a process by which yarn is manipulated to
create a textile or fabric. Knitting creates multiple loops of yarn, called
stitches, in a line or tube. Knitting may be done by hand or by using a
machine.
Suggestions
In view
of the foregoing, the following suggestions are made:
The paper
suggests that the Federal Government’s intention of making education accessible
to everybody is a project whose success lies on with the cooperation of
administrators, teachers/instructors and indeed the learners. Therefore, all
hands should be on deck to see to the total success of youth empowerment
through vocational skills acquisition programmes for community economic
development is the responsibility of all. This could be made possible if the
government can ensure that, its greatest budgetary allocation goes to the
educational sectors with much priority to skills acquisition programmes.
Adequate support should be
provided by both governments and private sectors to youth empowerment scheme
programmes for enhancing community economic development in Nigeria. In addition
to this, the teaming Nigerian youths should be adequately motivated to participate
in the empowerment programmes for self reliance and community economic
development. This can be done through giving equal opportunity to all Nigerian
youths to participation in the programme and have access to credit loan for
capital after receiving vocational training in respective of their political,
tribal of religious inclination
Finally,
adequate programme supervision should be mounted by governments of both local,
states and federal government to ensure proper implementation of youth
empowerment skills acquisition programmes for sustainable community economic
development in the country at large.
Conclusion
Various
reports show that despite its proven contribution, Nigeria does not seem to
give equal opportunities to Nigerian youths to attend skills acquisition
programmes and access to credit loan facilities for capital for their daily
businesses and these appear to be among the reasons for the rising unemployment
and poverty in the country. This paper concludes that Nigeria today, needs more
attention to youth’s empowerment through skills acquisition programmes with
paying a special attention to the major skills acquisition programmes mentioned
in the background for actualisation of a sustainable community economic
development in the country. Again, poverty alleviation is not just a matter of
income increase or economic development; it is quality raising and capacity
building. Most of the vocational education programmes designed for Nigerians
are formal in nature, inside class room settings where great opportunity is
given to children but youths and adults are at disadvantage due to their nature
and their day to day socio-economic activities. Therefore, it should be borne
in mind that this type of education is not limited to children alone, but must
extend its boundaries to youths and adult groups. If these skills acquisition
programmes are properly utilised and implemented, the economy will be
transformed to the highest level.
References
Abba, M. (2016).
Rehabilitation of Prison Inmates through Vocational Skills Acquisition
Programmes in North-West States, Nigeria. Published Ph.D Thesis,University of
Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
Abba, M. (2012). Relevance of Adult Education in Rural
Socio-Economic Development in Some Selected Local Government Areas, Katsina
State, Unpublished Master of Education (M.Ed.) Dissertation: Usmanu Danfodiyo
University, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria.
African Development Bank,
(2008) Macro-Economic Policies and Pro-Poor Growth in Nigeria: Report.
Ahmed, A. (2008): The
Current State of the Nigeria Economy and its Challenges to Policy Makers.
Bullion, CBN: Abuja, Nigeria, 9 (4), 1-13.
Commission of the African Union (2005): Education and
Human Resources Program: A Strategic Framework for deadline 2015 Report.
David J. A., Sabine, B.,
Ralf, C., Georg F., Udo, S. &Alfred, W. (2006). "Fatty Acids" in
Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry:Wiley-VCH,
Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a10_245.pub2
Dry Cleaning and Laundry
Institute. (2007)."The Western Cleaner & Launderer” The
DLI White Paper: Key Information on Industry Solvents.
Ellington, H. (2000). Producing
Teaching Material: A handbook for Teachers and Trainers. London: Kogan
Glym, S. & Tracey, C.
(2012).Adult Education in Canada’s Penal System. International Journal
of Social Science and Humanities, 2 (2): 185- 189.
Kristal, J. (2015). The
Role of Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training in
Developing Countries: A Review of Literature, Issues and Recommendations for
Action: The Pennsylvania State University, USAID/BFS/ARP-Funded Project, Award
Number: AID-OAA-L-12-00002.
Masari, A. B. (2015). Id-el
Kabir Sallah Address speech to the people of Katsina State at the Sallah homage
of the Emir of Katsina to the Executive Governor of Katsina State. Katsina:
Government House Press.
Mohammed, I. D. (2014).
Development of a Carpentry and Joinery self-instructional manual for learning
practical skills in Technical Colleges in North-Central, Nigeria.Unpublished
Doctoral Thesis, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
National Productivity
Centre (2007): Repositioning the Nation’s Economy: The Role of the Nigerian
Youth in Enhancing Productivity paper presented for NYSC Batch B Corp members
at NYSC Camp Kaba, Kogi state.
Nzeneri, I. S. (2002): Handbook on Adult
Education Principles and Practice. Onitsha: Good day Printing Press.
Okpoko, J. A. (2006):
Strategies for Using Non-formal Computer Literacy Programme for Poverty
Alleviation among the Youths: A Journal of the Nigerian National
Council for Adult Education (NNCAE), 12 (1): 52
Omada, A.V. & Boh, A.
(2006): Popular participation toward poverty alleviation. The Non-formal
Education strategy”. A Journal of the Nigerian National Council for
Adult Education(NNCAE), 12 (1): 110-120.
Oranu, R. N., Nwoke, G. I.
& Ogwu, B. A. (2002).Fundamentals of Metalwork Practice. Nsukka:
University Press.
Udochukwu, R. S. (2018).
Poverty Reduction strategies in Nigeria: Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
Economic and Financial Review 39(4): 1-17.
Victoria, S. (2006). Encyclopedia
of hair: a cultural history: Greenwood Publishing Group: 161–164. Retrieved
15 September 2011.
Word of Craft. (2015).
Tailoring Skills. Retrieved from http://www.wowheadcom/skill=197/tailoring
The official website of the DEGEL Jounal is https://www.degeljournal.com
0 Comments