Dangote partners Germany on youth training to address skills gap

The Aliko Dangote Foundation in partnership with Germany’s VDMA – the German Association for Mechanical and Plant Engineering – and its Foundation for Young Talent in Mechanical Engineering (NWS) have officially launched a technical training program in Nigeria, in a bid to significantly address the skill deficit in all the key sectors of the nation’s economy.

Speaking at the official launching of the programme yesterday, the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote said that the landmark program is a Seven-million Euro investment, a large percentage of which is for the specialised, leading-edge equipment that has been shipped from Germany and installed in five workshops purpose-built for this program at Dangote Academy in Obajana.

He also said the beneficiaries will be trained, using these machines, so they can learn practical skills that will be transferable as they enter the workforce.

This programme, according to him, is the first of its kind in Nigeria and will be replicated in all the six geo-political zones of the country.

Noting that vocational and technical skills are vital to the well-being of any economy, as key levers for growth, specifically in the manufacturing sector, Dangote said significant skills gaps exist in Nigeria, which is what this programme is seeking to address.

“The trainees that successfully pass through the full vocational training will be prepared as well-rounded professionals. In addition to the technical training, they will also get personal effectiveness training of same quality as our staff”

Germany’s Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr Gerd Muller, lauded the Aliko Dangote Foundation and VDMA for the enviable programme that can transform and develop the economy of Nigeria. He said his ministry had supported the initiative with €3.6 million and would not hesitate to do more for the purpose of the initiatives to be achieved.

The VDMA past president, Dr Reinhold Fostge stated that “I am very happy that this has become reality eventually in Nigeria. We started six years ago. Four years ago, we signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Nigerian German training project. This program is to raise the skill level of workers and make the youth employable…our vision in VDMA is that, in future, we should be able to exchange highly skilled professionals between Nigeria and Germany and as a matter of fact, I have no objection to inviting Nigerian specialists to help me in Germany and vice versa”

Meanwhile, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, enjoined both the Aliko Dangote Foundation and VDMA to consider citing the second training workshop in Lagos, with a promise to make funds available for the take-off of this laudable programme.

He said: "I am truly excited to be part of this epoch and nation-changing event … for us in Lagos, I am happy to announce that we have six well maintained vocational training schools … but we are going to not just talk here today, we are going to be making a public commitment that given what I have listened to now, we are not going to leave this to Dangote Foundation alone, we have to upscale our commitment”.