By Favour Nnabugwu
Samsung Electronics West Africa has partnered with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA to address the issue of technical and engineering skills shortage in Nigeria.

Speaking at the commissioning of Samsung Engineering Academy, the Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Bravo Kim said that the Samsung Electronics Engineering Academy was undertaken in response to the need to train skilled workforce of technicians who will become service experts empowered to create wealth.

Kim reiterated Samsung’s commitment to fulfilling its brand promise of inspiring the world and creating the future through its commitment to bringing new and meaningful innovations to the doorsteps of customers.
In addition to ensuring that Africa develops an adequate pool of engineering skills, the academy also provides learners with well-paying job opportunities, a commitment that supports the Nigerian government’s drive to address the issue of youth unemployment.

Kim said the firm’s interest and commitment is to facilitate a better future for Nigeria by training a skilled workforce of technicians who will become service experts empowered to create wealth.
According to him, “At Samsung, we understand the importance of investment in quality education and its role in youth empowerment. Today’s ceremony is yet another significant milestone for Samsung in Africa, as it represents our vision to ensure that empowerment opportunities that exist on the continent are shared by all, even as we continue to expand the programme here in Nigeria and across the continent.”

The academy is one of several community development projects undertaken by Samsung over the past few years, in furtherance of its corporate social investment initiatives.
Samsung started the first phase of the academy in South Africa in March 2011 which graduated its first class of students in January 2012 in its pilot phase.

In February 2012, it launched a second academy in Kenya and in Nigeria in July 2012 at Government Technical College, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos and Government Science & Technical College, Abuja on January 21, 2013 and efforts are on to open one in Ekiti and it is expected to move to more African countries by 2015.

However, GSTC has agreed to partner with Samsung in the provision of physical infrastructure for the academy. GSTC has also told Samsung that it has the requisite expertise to identify and appoint the learners from within the FCT that can be trained in the practice and theory of electronics engineering and after-sales services in respect of Samsung products.

Speaking to Vanguard Learning, GSTC Principal, Mr Moh’d Idris Ondekus who appreciated the social responsibility of Samsung to education sector, said if only all other companies can invest in education, the sector will be better off than it is currently.

Ondekus recalled that the Samsung project started on August 10, 2012 during the Science Teachers’ Association meeting. Samsung picked the GSTC, carried out their feasibility studies, renovated the place and put all necessary equipment in place.
“GTSC has about 884 students who learn about nine different trades ranging from motor mechanic, refrigerators and air-conditioning, electronics, computers among others.”

Again, he said the training is not restricted to only GSTC students but all other schools within the FCT can benefit from it.
On the maintenance and security of the equipment, Ondekus said the school has about eight security men on guard plus all security personnel organised by Samsung, adding that all the security personnel work together to secure the equipment and the school environment.