Unemployment major challenge in Benue -Gov Alia
By Bridget Ikyado
The Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev Fr Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia has said unemployment is the major challenge faced in Benue State.
Governor Hyacinth Alia made this known Tuesday, June 20, 2023 in a speech at the Implementation Support Mission Meeting of the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS), held at Benue Hotels, Makurdi.
He blamed the high rate of unemployment in the state partly on the nature and scope of educational curriculum which fails to address the needs of students in a world outside the school system.
Fr. Alia said without skills and talent to be self employed, the youth can easily fall pray to the temptations and vices that surround them, adding that instead of being useful assets to our development efforts, many young men and women have become clogs in the society’s wheel of progress.
Governor Hyacinth Alia appreciated the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Education for providing the widow for Benue Children from the selected technical colleges in the State to acquire hands on skills training that is commendable and timely.
He stressed that as a government, they recognized that re-engineering skills development ecosystem is essential to meeting critical market needs and the need to prepare the youth for today, and even tomorrow digital economy labour requirements.
The Governor thanked the World Bank and Project Management Unit for selecting and giving Benue State the hosting right for the implementation Support Mission Meeting.
Earlier in their separate remarks, the State Project Coordinator, Samuel Wende, and the World Bank Team, led by Dr. Dilip Parajuli underscored the importance of Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills, and thanked the Government and people of Benue State for providing a conducive environment for them and also according them warm reception.
They promised to strongly collaborate and partner with the government of Benue State to guarantee innovation and effective skills acquisition for Benue Children.
