Dangote Foundation partners, German on youth empowerment

The Aliko Dangote Foundation, in partnership with the German VDMA (German Association for Mechanical and Plant Engineering) and its Foundation for Young Talents in Mechanical Engineering (NWS) will train young people.

To this end, they launched a technical training program in Nigeria with the aim of significantly addressing the skills gap in all key sectors of the country’s economy.

Speaking at the inauguration of the program, Dangote Group President, Aliko Dangote said the landmark program was an investment of seven million euros.

He added that a large percentage of the investment would go to specialized and advanced equipment that was shipped from Germany and installed in five workshops built for this program at the Dangote Academy in Obajana.

Dangote also said beneficiaries will be trained with the machines so that they can learn transferable practical skills when they enter the workforce.

This program, according to him, is the first of its kind in Nigeria and will be replicated in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Noting that vocational and technical skills are key levers for economic growth, especially in the manufacturing sector, Dangote said there are significant skills gaps in Nigeria, which this program seeks to fill.

According to him: “Trainees who pass full vocational training will be prepared as full professionals. In addition to technical training, they will also receive personal effectiveness training of the same quality as our staff.

German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dr Gerd Muller congratulated the Aliko Dangote Foundation and VDMA for the enviable program which can transform and develop Nigeria’s economy.

He said his ministry had supported the initiative with 3.6 million euros and would do more for the successful implementation of the initiative.

Former VDMA President Dr Reinhold Fostge said: “I am very happy that this has finally become a reality in Nigeria. We started six years ago. Four years ago, we signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Nigerian German training project.

“This program aims to raise the skill level of workers and make young people employable. Our vision at VDMA is that in the future we should be able to exchange highly qualified professionals between Nigeria and Germany and in fact I have no objection to inviting Nigerian specialists to help me in Germany and vice versa.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urged both the Aliko Dangote Foundation and VDMA to consider citing the second training workshop in Lagos, with the promise to release funds for the program.

He said: I am truly delighted to be a part of this era and nation-changing event… for us in Lagos I am happy to report that we have six well maintained vocational schools… but we are not going not just speaking here today, we are going to make the public commitment that given what i have listened to now, we are not going to leave that to the Dangote Foundation alone, we need to step up our commitment.

“We will not wait for it to reproduce this in the six geographic zones of the country. Lagos State will work with him and ask VDMA what level of commitment is required from the state government … to ensure that in the near future we can replicate and bring a full arm of the Dangote Academy in Lagos State.

“We don’t want government bureaucracy to block this, if it’s to raise the funds that are needed I can assure you that Lagos State is ready for it and why are we making this commitment?

“It’s because of where we see Lagos… the amount of teeming youth that we have in our country and state. Lagos has continued to be the largest economy in our country and indeed in Africa, and what this offers us is an opportunity to be filled that will help to drastically reduce the unemployment rate in the state.

Congratulating the interns, Dangote said, “I understand that we only selected 120 of you out of over 4,000 applicants. It means that you are smart, you are the best and the brightest, we believe in you and expect great things from you. I urge you to seize this wonderful opportunity and become productive for the well-being of our country. ” (NAN)