A Non Governmental Organization (NGO), Regina Pacis Foundation, has advocated technology-driven economy anchored on vocational education to end increasing rate of unemployment and poverty in the country.
The Chairman of the foundation, Dr Edward Nkwegu, made the call in a speech he delivered at the13th anniversary of the foundation on Tuesday at Nwofe in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
Nkwegu who lamented the rate of youth and graduate unemployment in the country called for more emphasis on vocational education in order to drive the economy.
He said that the nation’s educational curriculum was not structured in a manner to make the educated self-reliant and self-sustained hence the increasing number of unemployed and unemployable youths.
The chairman said that the goal of the foundation was to bridge the gaps in the educational curriculum and teach people how to become self-reliant and self sustaining.
“Regina Paris Foundation is anchored on self-sustenance which is one of the most difficult projects to embark on and one of the most difficult topics to discuss.
“It is very difficult because it is directly related to money and when it comes to money, most people are insane.
“Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
“When it comes to money most people repeat their mistakes over and over again; the mistake of spending more than they earn and also expecting to reap where they did not sow.
“When we share the ideas on how to sow and reap a better harvest many people do not have the patience to listen and many of those who listen may not put efforts to understand.
“Yet everybody is fighting for an opportunity for a better life. People go to school to have better life after their studies yet they learn little about money, self-sustenance and self-reliance,” Nkwegu said.
He said that the foundation had trained 23000 persons including graduates, secondary school leavers as well as women and youths in different vocational skills and financial management in its 13 years of existence.
The chairman of Board of Trustees of the foundation, Rev Fr. John-Paul Nwankwo, said the foundation had also helped poor widows, awarded scholarships to bright indigent students and assisted orphans. (NAN)
