By Dipo Olowookere
A training and job-matching scheme aimed to address the high unemployment rate in Nigeria has been unveiled by the trio of ReelFruit, Temploy, and Made Culture.
The organisation, at a parley with newsmen last Friday, disclosed that the initiative, ReelSkills for Agribusiness, will be used to train about 1,000 youths on technical and soft skills demanded by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within the Agri-processing sector in Nigeria.
This programme, according to them, will improve economic opportunities for Nigerian youths as applications for the next cohort are ongoing on bit.ly/joinreelskills2b with additional information on https://temploy.ng/reelskills/.
Business Post gathered that this scheme is funded by the Netherlands Government under the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE).
It will be used to equip Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE) holders and Ordinary National Diploma (OND) between the ages of 18 and 35-years with skills in Food Safety and Processing, Digital Sales and Marketing.
The first batch of trainees selected based on their availability, qualification as an OND or SSCE holder, and desire to begin a career in the Agri-processing sector, have officially been trained and are keen on embarking on the job-matching and a lifelong career in Agri-processing.
“Having realised that the Agri-processing sector offers enormous opportunities, we are thrilled to have partnered with Temploy and Made Culture on this initiative that will enable us not only to build potential but also offers us the opportunity to equip young Nigerians who have the interest to grow this sector,” the founder and Chief Executive Officer, ReelFruit, Ms Affiong Williams, said.
“We are committed to building the Agri-processing sector and creating opportunities for young people. We believe that we can build and support more entrepreneurs within this sector through this initiative and we are happy to have kicked off this initiative that will transform the processing and manufacturing ecosystem,” she further said.
On her part, the CEO of Temploy Nigeria, Ms Juyin Benson, stated that, “Temploy is delighted to be collaborating with ReelFruit and Made Culture to build the capacity of young Nigerians.
“We are devoted to recruiting, training and equipping 1000 youths within Lagos and Ogun state over the next three years with digital and technical skills that will prepare them for a career in the Agri-processing sector”.
Also, the founder and Principal Director of Made Culture, Ms Malaika Toyo, revealed that “I believe passionately in using small-to-medium enterprises as skills development hubs for youth.
“In our quest to tackle Nigeria’s unemployment crisis, we hope to articulate the needs of the labour market to inform how we can provide lifelong learning skills that will improve the lives of young Nigerians.”
Adedapo Adesanya