Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) has developed a training programme that would boost entrepreneurial skills and potential, Mrs Helen Jemerigbe, Director, Technical Skill Development Project (NECA), said. Jemerigbe said during an interactive session with workers in Lagos that the training would help reduce unemployment.

She said that the training was anchored on entrepreneurship development based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO)  “Start and Improve Your Business”  (SIYB) modules. “Among the objectives of the programme is to ensure the availability of middle level technical and vocational manpower to meet the maintenance needs of industries in Nigeria and beyond,” the director said.

“The training will help to equip graduates of the project with life and business start up skills for establishing and managing their own businesses rather than search for salary employment,” she added.

Jemerigbe said that NECA, as the sole custodian of the ILO entrepreneurship modules, had a rich pool of accredited master instructors. She urged companies to assist in training youths to improve their manpower and to address the vocational and technical skill shortage in such areas as building construction, information technology and telecommunication.

Miss Celine Oni, Manager, Learning and Development Department of NECA, said that the training programme would also assist companies to institute global best practices that would enable them to increase their productivity. Oni added that the programme would enable organisations and persons to overcome challenges on competitive market by networking with contact persons.

Mr Timothy Olawale, Head, Social Economic and Labour Affairs (SELA) department said that NECA helped to implement the Pension Reform Act so that the association would provide better services to its members.