By Victor Nwegede.
The National President of the Artisans Association of Nigeria, Pastor Friday Nwaze has commended President Bola Tinubu and Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State for their administration agenda on human capital development.
He made the commendation on Thursday at Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre Abakaliki, during the inauguration of the Executive members of the Artisans Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State chapter.
Nwaze, the former President of the Association in Ebonyi State, said the Federal government led by Tinubu has a transformative initiative program known as Skill Up Artisans (SUPA) in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund, ITF to encourage artisans to advance their skills and economic status.
He said Governor Francis Nwifuru has also shown priority to the empowerment of Ebonyi artisans, both home and abroad, noting the approach would go a long way to improve the state and national economy.
"It's my pleasure to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because he is doing wonders to help artisans. There's work in progress about the Skills Up Artisans, SUPA Programme in the Federation, and the imitative by President Bola-led administration to transform the nation in economic wise.
"Recently, we had the SUPA program, and we, the artisans are grateful for embarking on the human capital development agenda in the country.
"I'm here in Ebonyi State to make sure the inauguration of the executives of our association went successfully. I'm very grateful for what I saw today, and I have to appreciate His Excellency, Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for his excellent leadership style, especially in empowering artisans in the state," Nwaze said.
He emphasized the need for continuous government support to the artisans whom he said, belong to a family of production, fabrication, construction, and even processing, while contending that the national economy would not grow optimally without them.
In his acceptance address, the President of the association in the state, Engr Francis Nwebonyi, said the event proved that Ebonyi artisans have come to make a greater difference in the lives of the state inhabitants.
He recalled that the association whose members cut across the 13 local government areas and 171 political wards of the state was established on 17th October 2017 under the then leadership of Pastor Friday Nwaze.
Nwebonyi, however, assured of working with other executives of the association to boost capacity building in skill acquisition, improve government revenue, initiate training for his members, and create job opportunities for the unemployed youths in the state.
He commended Governor Nwifuru for creating an enabling environment for artisans' activities to thrive in Ebonyi and for his supportive role to the members of the association in the state.
The State President promised to build a formidable force through which the aspiration of the association would be realized while appealing to his members to work as a team irrespective of their differences to progressively achieve their missions and visions.
"Borrowing the words of Amos Sanchez, who says, "to be emancipated from joblessness and financial crisis, we all need to prioritize skill acquisition in all ramifications irrespective of education status," Nwebonyi hinted.
The Chairman of the Occasion who is also the State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Chief Oguzor Ofia Nwali represented by Chief Boniface Iziogo described the artisans as the backbone of economic development across the globe.
Also, the State Commissioner for Skill Development and Job Creation, Mr Okwu Oko Udu who represented Governor Nwifuru, among other special guests at the occasion, described the theme of the event tagged "Importance of promoting and development of production, fabrication construction in Ebonyi State" as apt and encouraged the artisans to continue to work towards becoming self-reliance, wealth creators and employers of Labour to improve the economy.
