NAICCMA President Advocates for Training of Semi-Skilled Labour to Boost Industries
- Group support Naira notes redesigning exercise
The National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has advocated for the training of semi-skilled labour that can improve the Nigerian economy, as well as thrown its weight in support of the ongoing Naira notes redesigning exercise.
NACCIMA President, Ide John Udeagbala made this position known at an annual workshop|awards organized by the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
Udeagbala said NACCIMA is the voice of the organized private sector, responsible for advocacy, adding that the group applaud good government policy and at the same time criticize the bad ones because they are very apolitical.
“NACCIMA is saddled with the responsibility of issuing the certificate of origin. This is the certificate which validates the import out of every country. So if you are an exporter of goods the country of your destination will demand for your certificate of origin. It is only when NACCIMA signs it that that country will honour it,” he said.
He disclosed that while he was in Cairo recently, he discovered that what is lacking in Nigeria is semi-skilled labour, noting that most industry today lack these semi-skilled labour.
According to him, most industries are obtaining these semi-skilled labour from Benin Republic and Togo.
He insisted that we have to revive our vocational training institutions, go back to the technical and vocational education, otherwise our industry will go into extinction because semi-skilled labour is very important.
The ministry of education, he said, should team up with the ministry of industry on how they can train artisans for semi-skilled labour, while the government should form a curriculum on how these people can be trained.
The president of NACCIMA, while fielding questions from some CICAN members disclosed that there used to be the Trade Schools and Trade Centres about 40 years ago, but lamented that these Schools and Centres were aborted for Junior West African Examination Council. (WAEC) in secondary that has no relevance after acquiring such Junior WAEC certificate from the secondary school.
He pointed out that manufacturers contribute to Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and that he has advocated that part of the money from TETFUND should be used to fund Vocational Institute and Industries and that after training these people on vocational skills there should be certification process that will be validated in Nigeria and other countries.
He highlighted that there are 63 sitting chambers, several bi-lateral chambers, national and international chamber, adding that no trade fair can hold in Nigeria without NACCIMA’s approval.
He stated further that NACCIMA don’t have the facilities to train skilled worker; hence they have been advocating for the government to come in.
According to him, NACCIMA is about to establish digital hubs across the geo-political zone for the youths to be trained.
He noted that this has become imperative because the way the youths are living the country in droves is alarming and disheartening due to the process of going through the desert and getting drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.
NACCIMA, he said, is also advocating for a programme that will be a paradigm shift from what is ongoing to what he tagged as ‘brain drain to brain gain’.
Ide Udeagbala declared that NACCIMA is fully in support of the change in the Naira notes, adding that it is overdue since 12 years with over two trillion outside the banking sector.
He maintained that when this money is injected into the business sector, crime will reduce.
