Foundation Mulls International Skills Acquisition Centres for Indigent Nigerians

Okon Bassey in Uyo

The Light of Peace for Africa Foundation (LPAF), which is a non-governmental organisation based in Akwa Ibom State, has put in place necessary machineries to establish an international skills acquisition centre in each of the three senatorial districts of the state.

The establishment of the centre is to complement the efforts of both the state and federal governments on job creation.

It said the skill centres would carter for the need of the less privileged in the society.

The President/Founder of LPAF, Mr. Samuel Sampson, disclosed this at a media briefing in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of the state, where he announced the official inauguration of the body.

Sampson said that the proposed centres will be named after Governor Udom Emmanuel and Obong Michael Afangide for their contributions in promoting peace.

He noted that for peace to prevail in any society, the citizens, particularly the youths, must be meaningfully engaged through job opportunities, adding that the acquisition centres would offer free training in all vocational skills that the applicants would prefer to be engaged.

Sampson said: “There is no peace in an environment where there is lack of jobs for the citizens particularly, the youths.

“Our belief is that if you pick two or three persons and empower them, they will end up empowering other persons and the ripple effect will continue. By the special grace of God, we have been able to touch about 150 indigents Nigerians.

“What we are having in mind for the International Skills Acquisition Centers is to send people to learn the trade of their choices, after learning it, some of them who are very good, we will pick them so that they will stay and learn some other persons (sic).

“LPAF’s mission is to promote peace in the state, nation and continent of Africa.

“So far, during the short period of our existence, we have pursued that goal of ensuring peaceful coexistence in our society through targeted activities which include supporting and caring for the needy and less privileged through donations.

“We have floated of scholarship Programme, embarked on advocacy and campaigns on the need to embrace peace as witnessed in One Day Peace and Prayer Conference in 2020 for peaceful elections in both Edo and Ondo States.”

The Grand Patron of LPAF, Obong Michael Afangideh, who has lived for 103 years, called for peaceful co-existence in the state.