ABAKALIKI – The Igbo Youths Awareness Month (IYAM) summit, sponsored by the Igbo People in Diaspora (IPID), reached a high point yesterday as Hon. Igwe Basil Chidinma charged young people to embrace skill acquisition as the pathway to self-reliance and national development.
Delivering his keynote address at the Abakaliki, Hon. Chidinma observed that while academic certificates and degrees remain important, they are no longer sufficient to guarantee success in today’s fast-changing world.
According to him, technology, innovation, and global competition have shifted the dynamics of survival, making skills the real drivers of prosperity.
“Skills are the new currency of the future. A person who has skills is never stranded. Skills give confidence, independence, and the ability to solve problems. They sustain livelihoods, create wealth, and build nations,” he stated.
He identified unemployment, poverty, and youth restiveness as major challenges confronting Nigeria, adding that it can be drastically reduced when young people are equipped with practical, marketable, and relevant skills.
Hon. Chidinma cited agriculture, technology, construction, fashion, creative arts, and digital services as fields that can empower youths to not just seek jobs but to create them, and urged parents, teachers, and community leaders to see skill acquisition as complementary to formal education.
“Learning a skill is not a sign of weakness, it is a mark of strength. People of all ages can adapt and benefit from practical skills,” he stated.
Hon. Chidinma also called on government agencies, private investors, and development partners to expand opportunities by establishing more vocational training centers, digital hubs, and entrepreneurship programs across Igbo land and beyond.
Organizers of the IYAM summit, backed by the Igbo People in Diaspora (IPID), said the program was designed to awaken the entrepreneurial spirit of young Igbo people and prepare them to become global competitors. With workshops on innovation, mentorship, and self-development, the Abakaliki summit has become a beacon of hope for the next generation.
