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Okonkwo urges Tinubu to tackle unemployment with apprenticeship
Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines Limited, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, who made the call at the sidelines of a public book presentation by The Sun in Abuja, Thursday, said the apprenticeship scheme has the potential to positively engage many youths and make them self-reliant within the lifetime of the Tinubu administration.
Okonkwo, who had sponsored a study at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Business School on reinvigorating the Igbo apprenticeship scheme as a tool for mass employment, said outcome of the study indicated that the system is still a viable option to addressing unemployment.
According to Okonkwo, with proper policy administration, the scheme could be adapted to modern trends and used to engage youths towards a self-reliant future.
He stated that engaging youths at the point of graduation and attaching them to their trades of interest would empower them with the relevant skills to live by.
He said: “When a youth is engaged as an apprentice, he not only learns the nitty-gritty of the trade type or how to buy and sell, but also character formation as well as resource management skills.”
“Don’t forget that a young boy that is engaged to a trade master, who teaches him how to trade, is also learning how to manage financial resources; he will learn aspects of home management and when he grows to become the head apprentice, he also learns how to manage human resources.
“Apprenticeship will also expose him to the knowledge of banking and stock management and supply chain management. He will learn bookkeeping and product sourcing. He will also be introduced to his master’s business partners abroad, thus improving his network. If he is interested in transportation and is attached to a transporter, he will learn every aspect of the business, including fleet management, spare parts sourcing and management, etc. The benefits are huge and interestingly, these are some of the subjects that people pay millions of naira to learn in business schools here and abroad. So, you see that even an apprentice who goes to learn welding has much more to learn than cutting and welding irons.
“I will suggest that President Tinubu looks into this practice which has created quality and valuable human capital for our country as an avenue to tackle unemployment by creating a system of policy administration whereby graduates can be attached to businesses that are registered and willing to absorb these graduates to improve on their skills. You will be amazed at what the outcome will be,” Okonkwo said.
Commenting further, Okonkwo said it was interesting that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) was considering adopting the system to help improve the quality of lawyers.
He said: “You will see what the legal practice sector will churn out in a few more years if the NBA gets through with their plan to adopt the scheme. By attaching your lawyers to undergo apprenticeship under very senior and ageing lawyers, the NBA would have succeeded in impacting positively on the legal profession by helping produce more quality lawyers.”
Okonkwo also stated that the outcome of the study on the Igbo apprenticeship scheme is still relevant to the Nigerian society adding that UNIZIK Business School will also be willing to let any group that needs further information on the study to have access to the final report.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress( NDC) in the 2027 elections, Mr Peter Obi, yesterday visited the Faith Foundation College of Nursing Sciences, Nsukka, where he expressed delight at the progress of projects underway at the institution.
Obi, who inspected some of the ongoing projects, was received by the Proprietor of the College, Rt. Rev. Dr. Aloysius Agbo, who expressed appreciation for Obi’s longstanding support for the institution.
Agbo disclosed that Obi’s earlier financial contributions had played a significant role in giving the institution the confidence to embark on many of the projects currently under construction.
The Proprietor said the support had encouraged the management to continue investing in the development of the institution and its facilities.
In continuation of his support for the institution, Obi presented a cheque of ₦10 million towards the ongoing projects.
He also assured the management that he would continue to partner with the institution until it realises its objective of producing its first set of nurses.
Obi said his intervention was part of his broader commitment to supporting education and healthcare, particularly the training of quality healthcare professionals who would contribute to strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system.
He thereafter proceeded to St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Nsukka, where he participated in the 68th Annual Conference of Anglican Youths.
Addressing the youths, Obi urged them to recognise their responsibility in building a new Nigeria, stressing that the country they desire cannot emerge without their active participation in shaping its future.
He urged them to reject politics based on tribe, religion or language and instead insist on electing leaders with proven character, competence, capacity, integrity and strong ethical values.
According to him, the future of Nigeria depends not only on the leaders the country produces but also on the standards citizens demand from those who seek public office.
“Our future depends not only on the leaders we produce but also on the standards we demand. Together, we can build the New Nigeria that is possible,” he said.
Several people were feared killed on Thursday when armed men reportedly attacked three communities in Kupa Kingdom — Abugi, Kuchinda and Mikugi — in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State in an alleged reprisal attack.
Residents said the incident began around 8am when a herder, suspected of being a cattle rustler, was shot and killed during a heated altercation with local vigilantes at a checkpoint in the community.
“Few hours after the checkpoint incident between a herder and vigilantes, armed hoodlums invaded the town, shooting sporadically from different directions.
“In the process, several residents were killed, with many others sustaining injuries, as the armed hoodlums attacked streets, markets and even the palace of our paramount traditional ruler in the town.
“As of yesterday night, seven people were confirmed dead. The death toll may rise in the days ahead as the search for and confirmation of victims is still in progress.
“Moreover, the situation will become clearer when families who sought refuge in safer communities start returning from their various hiding places,” Ahmed, a resident of Abugi, said.
A son of the Mayaki of Kupa, Prince Aliyu Isah Kabir, who is the APC Youth Leader of Kupa South Ward, was confirmed to be among the victims of the attack.
The Lokoja Local Government Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Adamu, confirmed the incident, saying the attack on the Kupa communities had led to loss of lives and destruction of property.
Adamu said: “We have charged the relevant security agencies to swing into action and arrest anyone who has a hand, directly or remotely, in the attack and bring them to face the law.
“The government is saddened by this devilish act and will leave no stone unturned in getting justice for the deceased. I want to appeal for calm while the relevant security agencies take action.”
The Kogi State Government also condemned the attack, describing it as tragic, senseless and unacceptable.
In a statement issued on Friday, the state government described the incident as a reprisal attack and vowed to investigate the circumstances surrounding it, identify those responsible and prosecute them as a deterrent to others.
In the statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, the government said: “The Kogi State Government condemns in the strongest terms both the killing of the unarmed herder and the subsequent reprisal attack.
“These are criminal acts that have no place in our society. Anyone found to have participated in either incident, regardless of status or ethnic affiliation, will face the full weight of the law.
“We appeal to all residents to remain calm and resist the temptation of reprisals. We also urge members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that will aid ongoing investigations and the arrest of all those responsible.”
According to the statement, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo sympathised with the families of the deceased and directed “security agencies to immediately restore calm, take control of the situation and apprehend those responsible for the killings.”
The government also appealed for calm, urging residents to avoid further retaliation and provide security agencies with credible information as investigations into the incident continue.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command was contacted over the development, but its spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, did not respond to calls and a text message as of the time of filing this report. (Daily Trust)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered two more fake agencies operated by the self‑styled Director‑General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi.
ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after he submitted the commission’s interim report on the existence and operation of the fake agency at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Dr. Aliyu said the investigation revealed that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council was never established by law or executive order.
According to the interim report, the appointment letter presented by Adeyemi was forged, while the PFIPC illegally appropriated offices and instruments from the former Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).
He said the fake agency, using the former PEAC office, engaged in false representation, widespread impersonation and various illegal activities that exploited weaknesses in verification and inter‑agency oversight.
He further stated that the investigation uncovered two additional fake government agencies: the FCT Investment Promotion Agency (PIFA) and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (PIPA).
“These agencies were created using forged legislative instruments and were used to open bank accounts for illegal activities,” he said.
The ICPC boss said Adeyemi changed the name of the fake agency from Foreign Investment Promotion Council to Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and attempted to expand its mandate to include revenue generation.
He said: “The investigation found no funds were approved or disbursed for the fake PFIPC/PEAC, and there were no weaknesses in the State House or CBN system.”
Some recommendations of the committee, which was given 30 days to unravel the mystery behind the existence of the fake agency, include prosecution of Mr. Adeyemi; imposing administrative sanctions on public officers who facilitated the illegal operations; and instituting reforms to improve internal controls
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The public officers who were said to be collaborators are from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Accountant‑General’s Office, the Budget Office and the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA.
“The report is interim and the investigation continues to uncover more details to file criminal charges against Adeyemi and his collaborators,” he said.
Dr. Aliyu added that President Tinubu has taken note of the findings and has expressed his commitment to transparency and accountability in addressing the issue.
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