No fewer than 1.2 million Nigerian youth will benefit from the TAP capacity building project of youths, sponsored by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goal ( OOSAP-SDGs).
The August Project (TAP), a cognitive re-orientation initiative will individually and collectively improve the lives of the Nigerian youth directly addressing the problems of
Forced Labour and Modern day slavery
Irregular migration / human trafficking
Brain drain in the country.
It will also address Youth disenfranchisement and associated through the four creative identified areas which INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY BUILDING, LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING, ECONOMY CAPACITY BUILDING AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CAPACITY BUILDING.
TAP project aims to achieve the United Nations mandate on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), 8 and 9 (Decent work and Economic Growth).
Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu, the Global Director, TAP Project SDGs Mission disclosed this at NYSC orientation camp in Sagamu. Ogun State when sensitizing and recruiting NYSC corps members into the project.
Ladigbolu said that the capacity building was a platform to create a broader base economy needed to create employment through strategic innovations among the youths.
“ The essence of the Programme is to complement the priority and aspiration of the country most especially the effort of President Muhammadu Buhari. GCFR. Economy Recovery and Growth Plan towards lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty through sustainable economic growth.
“The duration of the programme is 10 years and it is targeted at both youth who have higher education qualifications and non-higher education qualifications in Nigeria.
“ We are working closely with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs) towards helping 1.2 million Nigerians youths to benefit from the Programme so that they can become a relevant global work force with external validation credentials so they can compete favorably with their counterparts across the globe.
“ The Programme is targeted at the youths because we believe that the prosperity of any nation will determine how you treat the youths and giving them an opportunity will play an important role in complimenting the efforts of the president in uplifting 100 million youths from poverty,” he said.
Ladigbolu added that the youth Corp members were also targeted to benefit from the programme saying that the Programme is at no cost to them.
He said the programme would ensure that the youths are well equipped and also make them self reliant to cope with the challenges of the future.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire in her remark said the federal government would continue to encourage the youths to develop sustainable livelihoods after inaugurating the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Training Center for Corps members in Ogun state Permanent Orientation camp in Sagamu.
The Multi-million naira training center established by the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the president on Sustainable Development Goals and the TAP Project funded by her office, OSSAP-SDGs aimed at promoting social equity, employment generation and sustainable development of the youths
Orelope-Adefulire said the state of the art Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Training Center was the first of its kind with workshops for metal fabrication Automobile, woodwork, leather work for automobile, block Molding, Tailoring, and the ICT where the TAP beneficiaries will also make use for their TAP Project training.
According to her, the facility has fifty desktop flat-screen computer sets with accessories, tables and chairs, 100 Sewing Machines, wheel balancing and alignment machine, classrooms and big conference hall for meetings among other facilities.
She added that the TAB ZEBB scholarship scheme was a physical masters programme created to support the TAP graduates by getting more relevant external certificates.
In addition, the TAP beneficiaries will also benefits from the TAP ZEBS Global Scholarship Scheme a bespoke Master Program – The First Europe MBA with STEM Focus created to support TAP Alumni to gets more relevant external Credentials to becoming world global workforce.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to newsmen at the end of the sensitization commended the Federal Government for bringing the initiative to their doorstep.
Miss Precious Olafioye, a TAP beneficiary from Lagos State commended the gesture while asking that the initiative should be sustained.
“I am glad to be here today to contribute my quota to sensitize the Ogun state Corp members about the opportunities present in the TAP project.
“There are several benefits in the project and some of them which I have benefitted from include the United Kingdom Association of Business Executives and also the Institute of Leadership and Management full professional membership.
“ I was also opportuned to benefit from the TAP ZEBBs global scholarship schemes in Switzerland which is a masters degree in business administration,” she said.
Olafioye said the Programme has added value to her and also given her the privilege to gain international certification from Ivy league schools, top company like BMW AND ROYCE ROLL, GOLDMAN SACHS,BCG (BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP) and top business institution like INSEAD, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, IESE BUSINESS SCHOOL BARCELONA, UNIVERSITY OF AUSTRALIA among several others.
She urged other participants to make use of the opportunity as it would add immense value to them and also make them relevant stakeholders in the future.
Also, Elizabeth Obidim, a serving Corp member in Ogun State thanked the presidency OSSAP – SDG for the opportunity given to participate in the project saying such will impact so much on them.
Adeleke Timileyin, also serving Corp member in Sagamu, Ogun state said the programme, apart from benefiting the youths would also contribute to the nation’s development.
