As part of efforts to encourage skill acquisition and entrepreneurship, iCreate Africa is set to host Africa’s biggest technical and vocational skills competition in December.

In view of this, the organsation will be partnering Sterling bank plc, Bosch Nigeria Limited and other stakeholders to host the grand finale of the second edition in Lagos next month.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the CEO, iCreate Africa, Bright Jaja stated that the competition will empower a lot of youths in various skills.

According to him, iCreate’s focus is to address the societal perception affecting youth participation in technical skills by rebranding technical skills, uplifting the profiles of skilled professionals and projecting skills in the mainstream.

“Through local and international cooperation and collaborations between industries, the Government, organizations, and institutions, iCreate Africa promotes the need for a renewed focus on deriving the benefits of technical skills through skill competitions, grassroots community projects, and training. ICreate Africa demonstrates how important Skill Education and Training is for the youths, the economy and the society at large by challenging young people to ignore societal stigma and embrace skills as a first choice”, he said.

He further explained that it was high time Nigerian youths embraced skill acquisition, adding that there are very few white collar jobs in the country.

Also speaking at the conference, the Chief Marketing Officer of Sterling Bank, Mr. Dapo Martins said, “We need to focus on exporting skills instead of concentrating only on the export of crude oil and agricultural products”.

In his speech, Retail Marketing Manager of Bosch Nigeria Limited, Mr. Samson Ajayi said Icreate was pivotal to their company because it addressed a lot of structural issues in the Nigerian economy. He added that as an engineering company that makes mechanical parts, the skill festival is a unique opportunity to tap into and contribute to the economy.

The Icreate Skills Competition is a platform that promotes skills excellence, showcases skills standards and careers, demonstrates benchmarks of excellence in teaching and learning and creates interest in public sector agencies and private organisations to invest in skills development.

The skill festival 2019 is a two-day national fair slated to run December 4th to 5th, 2019 in Lagos, with focus on equipping participants with the skills to succeed as entrepreneurs.