By Bassey Nkponam
IBIONO IBOM
The Akwa Ibom governor has made case for the upgrade of the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre (DASAC) at Ikot Ada Idem in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area to a degree awarding technical institution in the State.
Pastor Umo Eno, who bared his mind, Saturday, during the maiden graduation and exhibition ceremony for the first batch of the 240 initial trainees of DASAC, which took place at DASAC Auditorium, Ikot Ada Idem, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, charged the rector and Governing Council to explore ways of turning the Centre into a degree awarding technical institution.
Eno expressed the readiness of government to ensure that the vision comes into fruition, saluting the vision of the immediate past governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, for conceptualising the centre and putting together the structures which are truly world-class, and of which his administration is deploying the finisher’s anointing with the sponsorship of the first 200 trainees spread across all the 31 local government areas, with a N20,000 monthly stipend paid as training fees.
He called on local government chairmen, corporate organisations and others in the State to key into the human capacity development component of the ARISE Agenda, by sponsoring young people within their areas of operation to acquire skills at the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Center (DASAC), urging the local government councils to nominate at least 10 trainees and sponsor their skills acquisition at the center.
The governor said the graduation was the crystallisation of a vision borne out of the need to equip youths with requisite and marketable skills which would correspondingly prepare them to face the opportunities that tomorrow may bring, maintaining that the graduation ceremony of the first batch of the 240 initial trainees of DASAC represents the idea as captured in its vision which is “to provide a one-stop shop for world-class, cutting-edge and needs-driven technical skills training, leadership and entrepreneurial training” for our youths.
Eno thanked the vice chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Tolulope Ogunsola, for the strategic partnership the University has provided the centre, especially in the area of curriculum formulation and development, as well as the immediate past commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, for her pioneering work in translating and implementing government’s vision for the Centre.
The governor lauded the rector of the Centre, Professor Enoidem Usoro, for her hard work and for being a silent achiever and getting the Centre off to a remarkable and great start, recalling his unscheduled visit to DASAC few days ago to see things for himself during which he was deeply impressed with the manner she has interpreted the vision and the founding principles of the Centre, saying, “you have earned my deep respects and commendations and proved our judgment right in picking you to be the pioneer rector of the Centre.”
He congratulated the 240 graduating students for the hard work they put into their studies, the passion they showed and the products they have produced in the course of their training, noting that the ARISE Agenda blueprint of his administration is heavy in human capacity development and that the exhibition speaks volume of government’s desire to train youths and equip them with skills-set that would make them employers of labour rather than being job-seekers.
According to him, the School of Agriculture where some graduating students have been trained in piggery, fisheries, ranch management, snailery and other skills, ties into government’s ongoing push to engender agricultural revolution in the State, adding that with the establishment of Ibom Model Farm in Nsit Ubium which, he noted, would be a centre for both agric tourism and integrated farming, as well as other farms, government intends to utilise the skills of the graduating students to further its desire to ensure food security for the people.
For graduands of the School of Hospitality and Lifestyle Management, where the trainees had earned skills in fashion, catering, shoe making and leather works, Eno said with the proposed Ibom Hotels in Abuja, and Ibom Towers in Lagos, government intends to harvest their skills, as tourism remains a critical element of its ARISE Agenda.
The state chief executive officer noted that government has created a stand-alone Ministry of Technology and Digital Economy with the intention that the graduands will, aside from branching out to set up businesses along the lines of their training, would also work closely with the ministry to bring to bear their training in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cyber Security, Digital Marketing, Networking, Microsoft Fundamentals and other areas.
Eno, who observed that Akwa Ibom is fast becoming a construction hub, was optimistic that the graduands from the School of Metal and Wood Fabrication will avail themselves of the incredible opportunities that exist in this vast area, lauding the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development (Ibom LED) Centre, for the entrepreneurial skills they have exposed the graduating students to, saying it was the hope of government that they will use the golden opportunity to inspire future students of the Centre by what they will turn the trainings received in the centre, into.
The rector of the Centre, Professor Enoidem Usoro, described the graduation ceremony as a significant milestone, having turned out 240 pioneer trainees and appreciated the governor for his huge support, and sponsorship of a good number of students for specialised training, as well as approving a monthly stipend for the trainees.
Highpoint of the ceremony was the governor’s inspection of various products exhibited by the Centre.
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