iCreate Skill Fest, organisers of Africa’s biggest technical and vocational skill competition has said that over 150 competitors and about 20,000 people would visit the competition in Abuja in October.

Mr Bright Jaja, Chief Executive Officer, iCreate Africa, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

Jaja said that the estimated number of visitors across the country would include students from primary, secondary and higher institutions, Government parastatals, private companies, international organisations and delegates from embassies present in the FCT.

“We estimate that about 20,000 people will visit the competition including students, government and private companies, international organisations and delegations from embassies present in the FCT,” he said.

The chief executive officer said that the exhibition would showcase the services, products, innovations and ideas from companies ranging from small and medium enterprises to national and multinational organisations in Nigeria.

He said it would comprise Skills competition and Industrial exhibition for the purposes of elevating discourse on technical and vocational skills as an important tool for employ-ability, wealth creation, industrialisation and national economic development.

He said that the competition would be facilitated in collaboration with a delegation from World Skills Barbados and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

Jaja noted that the progress of any country was determined by the quality of its people and that Nigeria had one of the youngest populations in the world.

He added that skill acquisition could be of tremendous economic benefits when explored.

He appealed that more focus should be on empowering young energetic minds to be more active and productive in Nigeria.

“Nigerian youths if and when encouraged will be the greatest country in the world competing with countries like China.

“We believe that it is possible and that is why we are taking this laudable step to give young people a platform to showcase, learn, innovate and create,” Jaja said.

He also noted that as part of the competition, the event would be rounded up with an award ceremony, where the emerging winner from over 150 competitors would be addressed as Nigeria’s Skill champions.

He said that the competitors would be from across 17 skill sets, including Carpentry, Plumbing, Hairdressing, Tailoring, Art, Photography, Web design, App development, Graphics design, 3D Animation, Robotics and others.

Jaja said that the winner would be awarded medals, cash prizes and would become ambassadors of its various partners.

“The winners will be representing Nigeria at the World Skills Competition in Russia Kazan in 2019.

“The skillfest will be a journey that will open doors and give them opportunities for a better life while contributing to national development,” he said.

iCreate is a project designed to serve as a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s high youth unemployment, skills shortage and industrialisation.

It is organised in conjunction with ITF, OXFAM and World skills as part of activities for Nigeria’s largest skills festival and exhibitions. (NAN)

Update news