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By Young Erhiurhoro, Warri
The importance of entrepreneurial or technical skill amongst our youths and in the Nigerian educational development can’t be over-emphasized, especially in the present time when the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging almost all nations of the world.
In Nigeria, the corona virus pandemic has stalled educational activities and other economic ventures since its outbreak early this year. However, in order to keep both body and soul together until the government considers it necessary and safe to re-open schools for youths and children, I think it’s expedient for us as parents, guardians, religious leaders and community leaders to engage our children/wards in the act of acquiring entrepreneurial/technical skills in different areas or trades.
Today, we have many entrepreneurial/technical skills or trades available in the Nigerian labour market, tagged as small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) and also recognized as academic subjects in technical-based educational institutions in Nigeria according to the educational policies on Technical Education Development, as planned by both federal and state ministries of Education in the country.
Some examples of skills or trades that our youths can learn in Nigeria are: mechanic/automobile repairs, welding/fabrication, hair dressing, tailoring/fashion design, interior decorating, film making, electrical installations, driving, auxiliary nursing, agro trades, computer training, computer repairs/installations, buying/selling, cream or cosmetics making etc.
On this note, I want us to look keenly at just ten reasons why our youths should acquire entrepreneurial/technical skills in different areas or trades. These are:
1. To create a source of income: Acquiring entrepreneurial/technical skills will help to create a source of income for our youths. It will allow for easy cash flow in their savings and pockets. With this, it will be difficult to entice or induce them to follow evil or bad ways of living e.g cyber crimes like fraud, money laundering, yahoo business etc.
2. To create employment for themselves and others: This is another importance of acquiring skills or learning different trades. The Federal Government is expatiating on this in order to reduce the rate of unemployment in the country. As a hair dresser or tailor, you have created a job for yourself and also created business opportunities for others.
3. To curtail the surge of immoral acts amongst our youths: Despite all the teachings on the evils of immorality in the church, the rate of immorality amongst our youths these days has become alarming. Therefore, engaging them in learning a skill or a particular trade will obviously cut down the trend of immorality among them since they would contribute much of their time in learning the trade or skill.
4. To disengage the youths from criminal activities: Another importance that is synonymous to the one above is the removal of our youths from engaging in criminal activities. We shouldn’t forget the old adage that says, ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop’. Once the minds of the youths are occupied with positive thoughts, criminal activities will be far from them.
5. To create peace and harmony in our homes and communities: It’s an indisputable fact that violence and crimes are carried out by virile youths in homes and communities. This is because they are jobless. Once they are engaged in doing one work or the other, that youthful exuberance and vigour would have been stamped out completely from their minds.
Other benefits of acquiring entrepreneurial/technical skills, in summary, include:
6. To create gender equality and encourage female participation in business initiatives: For instance, a female child can learn to become an automobile mechanic or vehicle repairs.
7. To remove our youths from the streets: In this case, parents/guardians should try to avoid street hawking for little children to protect them from rape and other social violence against girls and women.
8. To boost the dignity of labour and human integrity: To learn or acquire a skill should never be considered as a new form of slavery or hard labour. It’s a way of earning a living.
9. To harmonize Nigerian educational policies on technical education: In this case, learning a trade or skill won’t prevent any child from acquiring normal formal education.
10. To reduce youth restiveness: This will allow stable democratic processes in our government, churches and community leadership.
Young Erhiurhoro; Kjc, a reporter and a member of the Urhobo Historical Society
