FG collaborates with firm to train 250 youths on fashion designing

The Federal Government in partnership with a fashion company, BZ, has expressed readiness to train not less than 250 youths on fashion design to create work and improve the country’s economy.

The programme to be organised in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Youth and Sports through the Office of SSA on Youth and Students Matters to the President, and some State Governments, targets at promoting the ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ brand internationally, leveraging on the country’ rich cultural attires.

Speaking at the pre-press conference to the programme, in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Youth and Student Matters, Nasir Sa’idu Adhama said this is one of efforts to diversify economy by the government. Also, the Principal Consultant of BZ, Bashir Zuntu disclosed that

“250 youths selected from the six geo political zones will be freely trained.” He maintained that the trainees would be trained freely in their two factories located in Abuja with little capital and sewing equipment to be given to them as a start up.

Basher explained that the company’s ambitious project premised on “projecting the Nigeria fashion sub-sector to the international market.

You will quite agree with me that our country has beautiful and classy fashion styles and designs already making excellent fashion statements internationally.

“When we look at how trendy Nigerians appear when clothed in our national dresses, it came to my mind that we are ready for the world.

What readily came to my mind is, if it fits so well on us, why not others? “Therefore, this programme is our own little way of contributing to the socio economic development of the country by training our youths who desire on fashion-designing and empowering them to get into a gainful enterprise.

“We are touched by the fate of the Nigerian youths who are faced with the precarious state of our economy and the widening unemployment market.

“The dream of every youth in Nigeria today is that the moment he/she graduates from the higher institution that there will be an employment opportunity out there for grabs but unfortunately that is not the case

“The state of things now in Nigeria is so bad that even those who are presently working are not even being paid for months thereby making the hope of the employed hopeless. These necessitated our resolve to contribute our little quota to a better society by setting-up a unit for ‘Training and Employment Programme’.”