Pilot Sewing Championship sets up workshops in FCT schools

by Stephen Adele

The Incentivized Pilot Sewing Schools Championship 2023 (SSCP23) has provided a platform to set up and equip sewing workshops in three selected schools in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

SSCP23 is the brainchild of Ladi Memorial Foundation (LMF), a non-governmental organization, which was supported and sponsored by UNESCO, the FCT Education Secretariat and other relevant partners, for Vocational Education and Training (VET) stakeholders and was launched to strengthen the support of governments. Establishment of workshops in schools.

More than 1000 youth, mainly from Junior Secondary School (JSS), Senior Secondary School (SS) and out of school youth in the age group of 12 to 20 years participated in Tailoring Competition in six (6) Area Councils in the second phase of FCT. ran away. Competition.

The third phase, tagged: “Championship Finals and Up-Skilling Sewing Boot Camp”, was a 5-day fully residential workshop for the 54 best competitors from the six FCT Area Councils, held from April 23-29, 2023, in which the winners of various categories Got up

Speaking at the award ceremony in Abuja on Wednesday, Dr. Nimota Akanbi, Board Chairman, NSSEC shared experiences on skill development in other countries, saying that skills remain the cornerstone of sustainable economic development.

He stressed on the need to sustain the initiative and promised that NSSEC will support it as a national championship event for all 36 states and FCT in 2024.

Also speaking, FCT Education Secretary Hon. Sani El-Katuzu commended all supporting partners and the LMF for the effective initiative which had brought together all the FCT Education Secretariat departments.

He added that SSCP23 had completely engaged everyone in the project implementation over the past five months with the culmination of the 5-day championship finals and the up-skilling tailoring boot camp and award ceremony.

El-Katju, who also received the championship award, noted that the SSCP23 was endorsed as an FCT budgetary activity in 2023 and assured of sustainable repeated implementation by the FCT.

El-Katzoo stressed that the SSCP23 will complement government efforts in the achievement of the TVET reality of job creation to significantly reduce poverty in society.

He called for greater collaboration with the private sector to promote and complement government efforts in the achievement of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).

“The program will be used to encourage youth to use their free time wisely to learn marketable trades and skills that will provide economic support and lifelong educational development and poverty alleviation,” Al-Qatju said.

On his part, Dr. Olawale Olagunju, Secretary-General of the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM), said the organization was happy to be part of the project and hoped that more such initiatives would be taken to empower the youth.

According to him, when LMF first submitted the concept note for the SSCP23 initiative, they saw that it was an excellent, offbeat initiative with far-reaching impactful benefits with ripple effects.

So NATCOM UNESCO bought it and recommended it for UNESCO funding under the UNESCO 2022/2023 Partnership Programme.

He said that SSCP23 has fully delivered the promised outcome, stakeholder engagement, equipping schools workshops and student-entrepreneur tools, TVET sensitization, advocacy, etc.

Olagunju appreciated the support of stakeholders across various sectors and reiterated the idea of ​​NSSEC on a larger scale as a national program in 2024.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education (FME), Mr Andrew David Adjoh received the SSCP23 Star Award and the SSCP23 Star Individual Partner Award for FME.

Adejoh, who was represented by Mr. Osinike of the Department of Science and Technical Education, FME, assured the LMF of the support of the federal government to maintain the championship.

On his part, Conservator General National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim Goni said that SSCP23 was a remarkable initiative with impressive results, describing the initiator, ED LMF, as very resourceful.

Goni encouraged the participants to retain the benefits of SSCP23.

In her remarks, LMF Executive Director, Mrs Rosemary Ojochenemi Osikoya said that the three schools have received over 30 sewing machines and workshop equipment.

According to him, the Gold, Silver and Bronze winning schools in the championship received 15, 10 and 5 sewing machines respectively, which include industrial, manual and special purpose sewing equipment.

Osikoya said other categories include the most prestigious competitive award, Thankgod Bitrus, a 12-year-old learner at LEA Naraya Primary School, who came 10th overall and received an industrial sewing machine.

She said the Gold Champion individual student-venture award was won by Susan Audu who had completed secondary school two years earlier and gone on to learn sewing.

He said Audu received an industrial sewing machine and an industrial knitting machine as the championship gold award, and a manual sewing machine as the overall best for the AMAC Area Council.

“We’ve had about 20 individuals that have received sewing machines, so if you put them all together, we’ve donated over 50 sewing machines and equipment to different schools and individuals,” Osikoya said.

However, he stressed on the need to sustain the Tailoring Schools Championship by making it an annual and national competition through the support of relevant government agencies and partners.

He stressed on inter-sectoral partnerships to bridge the existing gaps in policy implementation across sectors.

He stressed the need for statutory government agencies such as NBTE, NMEC, NSSEC, UBEC, NABTEB and others to extend greater support to NGOs such as LMFs in achieving the promise of functional education with tangible and verifiable results. Help who contribute to the economy. SSCP23 did it for the Garment Sector.

According to him, the role of NGOs in good practice and positive policy implementation and development cannot be over-emphasized.

“The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) has promised to support it to become a national competition in 2024.

“We want to encourage everyone else to support them. The FCT has also promised that they will continue to do so; This is promising.

“For lasting impact, there must be buy-in at the state level to emulate the FCT Education Secretariat, which saw the opportunity for public private partnership and pursued it with commitment,” said Osikoya.

The Executive Director thanked the members of the SSCP23 Coordinating Committee who were representatives of the supporting partner organisations.

Overall best student, Susan Audu said that everyone gave their best so that after three hours the best costume came out which showed that the youth have skill and talent.

Audu said, “We thank the LMF for launching SSCP23 and appreciate UNESCO, the FCT Education Secretariat and all other stakeholders for giving us this opportunity to showcase our professional skills to the students.”

Other stakeholders in attendance presented awards to the SSCP23 champions and awardees: NASENI, Federal Ministry of Science and Technological Innovation, Federal Ministry of Human Affairs and Social Development, SMEDAN, NDE, NAPTIN,

Other SSCP23 partner organizations that have received recognition awards for supporting the pilot incentive SSCP23 include: NTA, FRCN, NSSEC, NMEC NABTEB, UBEC, NASENI, Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama, Cinfores Limited, FCT Board of Education Secretariat- DME, DQA, SEB, UBEB, S&T, among others.