World Youth Skills Day

INTENSIFYING SKILLS ACQUISITION AMONG THE YOUTH AS THE WORLD YOUTH SKILLS DAY IS MARKED TODAY WEDNESDAY JULY 15, 2015

A skill can simply be defined as the ability to do something well. It can also be referred to as ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort in order to smoothly and adaptively carryout complex activities or job functions involving ideas, things, and/or people.

Similarly, skill acquisition is the process of acquiring a certain skill by an individual through a thorough intensive training over a given period of time. Skill acquisition involves both theoretical and practical training regardless of its duration.

Skill can be classified into three major parts including cognitive skills, technical skills and interpersonal skills. A cognitive skill deals with ideas; technical skill is the ability to handle things or a certain human endeavour effectively and efficiency. Whilst, interpersonal skill is the ability to relate with people around you usually in business or work places. There are hundreds of thousands of skills in existence such as sporting skill, cultural skill, installation skill, maintenance skill, manufacturing skill, management skill and what have you.

Skill is required in every area of human endeavour and it enables the entrepreneurship drive of any nation to be actualized. The most important aspect of skill acquisition is that it benefits all classes in any society involved especially the masses.

A small or medium scale entrepreneur is expected to hire many skilled people to take on tasks that are outside of his/her skill set. However, every individual either a prospective leader or business personnel, must relentlessly strive to acquire the skills that will make him/her a great leader or a successful businessperson as the case may be.

Someone who has commenced a business or trade venture owing to his specialized skills and knowledge related to a particular service or product is required to expand his skills to be a successful entrepreneur. Such measure is referred to as ‘Skill enhancement’. No doubt, improving skills related to acquiring money or raising capital for a business boost represents the difference between success and failure of the venture in question.

Unequivocally, being good at starting a business does not automatically make one good at planning for growth. He/she must acquire planning skills that tie his/her vision to practical steps, which the business can take to realize that vision. The acquisition of the aforementioned skill is important because without it, your firm or business venture can stagnate and lose out to the competition.

One may have envisioned a smooth rise to the top when he commenced his business, but the truth is that he will surely encounter crisis or challenging situations. Whether it has to do with shortage of money or the loss of his facilities to a fire disaster, he must acquire the skills that would enable him to remain calm in times of turmoil and maintain his ability to make adequate decisions. This step is very vital because the affected person can learn to triumph when it looks like he could be defeated. Needless to say that skill acquisition in decision making remains an inevitable tool while carrying out a business strategy.

On the other hand, the importance of acquiring strong communication skills will be evident in all of one’s entrepreneurial activities. From networking to leadership, one needs to constantly and consistently update his communication skills to enable him form alliances and encourage consensus.

Taking Nigeria as a case study, you would noticed that most of our young ones or the youth are potentially preoccupied with variety of skills in various areas of human endeavour ranging from culture to sports, engineering/sciences, art works, and leadership, that need to be develop with a view to strengthening their respective entrepreneurship prowess towards nation-building.

To this end, there is need to encourage our young ones to be acquainted as well as acquire proficiency in one skill or the other within their reach. The schools can help in this regard by ensuring that the pupils or students regularly create time for guidance and counselling during their school hours. A good counselling would enable each of them to discover their potential skills or abilities thereby making them develop an interest in that area. The parents and guardians on their part should not hesitate to boost the morale of their children or wards in any skill they are fit in by providing all the needed materials or facilities for them to excel.

Inter alia, there is an urgent need to revive the various technical colleges and commercial schools situated across the federation that are currently moribund. And at the tertiary level, the Entrepreneurship Studies, which are usually done by the undergraduates as General studies, ought to be taken more seriously by the various school managements. More so, the ongoing Industrial Training (IT) and Teaching Practice (TP) schemes being observed by the Universities/Polytechnics and Colleges of Education respectively must be intensified by the concerned authorities. Above all, the various cultural heritages across the country need to be revisited with the aim of harnessing the required ones; this will go a long way to discover and reawaken thousands of skills among the youth.

On Wednesday July 15, the world over celebrated the maiden edition of the World Youth Skills Day. The Day, which is aimed at enhancing the youth’s ability in order to make informed life and work choices, was established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on November 11, 2014. World Youth Skills Day was initiated in the UN by the effort of the Sri Lanka Representative. The UN General Assembly calls on member states to observe the Day in an appropriate manner.

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the annual World Youth Skills Day, I call on the governments at all levels, the civil society, religious bodies, corporate organizations, and well-meaning individuals to intensify awareness on the importance of skills acquisition as well as look for a way they can contribute their respective quotas in the crusade with a view to eradicating the ongoing socio-economic crisis ravaging the country. Think about it!

 

COMR FRED DOC NWAOZOR

(The Media Ambassador)
_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056  
Follow: @fdnnwaozor / @fred_nwaozor                     

Teenage Cultism on the Rampage

CHECKING THE RISING INCIDENCE OF TEENAGE CULTISM

Cultism can be defined as a situation whereby a group of persons holds or shares beliefs that is significantly different from those of established religion as well as practice traditions that are contrary to those regarded as normal and acceptable.

This implies that cultism is an activity carried out by a secret cult/confraternity. A secret cult is simply an organization of a few persons with a view to actualizing a sinister or ulterior motive.

Cultism could be attributable to various factors such as hunger, frustration, vulnerability, insecurity, ignorance, inferiority complex, quest for power, peer influence, oppression, youth restiveness, intimidation, loneliness, or family/parental background, as the case may be. Among all the factors that could make someone to join a secret confraternity, the most dominant one is peer influence.

Someone is confirmed a member of a secret cult group after passing through a certain rigorous ritual, which is invariably cruel and inhumane. Sometimes, the prospective cult member passes away in the process if he or she lacks a strong resistance to pressure or tension.

An individual may willingly wish to join a certain secret cult owing to his/her interest. On the contrary, one might be subjected to join a cult group through the effort of some of the members of the group due to a certain quality or idiosyncrasy they observed in the person such as academic excellence, financial security, influence, and/or physical stamina.

It is obvious that cult activities have been on rampage in recent times. There are various forms or levels of cultism; ab initio, secret society was found among people of advanced age bracket until it was introduced to the students of tertiary institutions of learning. And lately, the latter seemed to be of higher effrontery as a result of youthful exuberance.

Currently, it appears cultism has taken a different dimension, which makes it more worrisome. Apparently, the drumbeat is no longer observed only on our campuses or in wider societies but also by the students of the various secondary schools in Nigeria and beyond.

Surely, taking a walk to any neighbouring secondary school will convince one that teenage cultism has come to stay among our teeming young ones. The most painful part remains that most of the teenagers involved are yet to know that they are practising evil or something prohibited by the law thereby making them constitute enormous nuisance among their contemporaries.

Some of them don’t even stop at their fellow students while carrying out their activities or observing their norms; in most cases, they end up threatening their teachers or a staff of the school. It is pathetic to notice that most of the affected parents or guardians are yet to acknowledge that their children or wards are cultists, which implies that the so called parents cannot give adequate account of their teens.

Unequivocally, extension of this ugly and dastardly trend to our secondary schools is no doubt an indication that the future of the country’s educational sector is not just in shambles but has been placed in an unimaginable danger zone that if severe measure is not taken towards its eradication, the country is liable to experience a colossal socio-economic waste soonest.

We must understand that all hands ranging from the parents, to teachers, counsellors, school managements, government at all levels, religious bodies, the media, civil society, and what have you, are expected to be on deck toward stemming this societal menace that is telling on as well as ravaging our national development.

We ought to make our young ones realize that one who indulges in cultism has sold his or her soul to the devil and could die prematurely. Among all, they should be meant to comprehend that anyone caught in the act will surely face the wrath of the law, which attracts a capital punishment to include life imprisonment among others.

There is no need reiterating the fact that a teenage cultist is likely to possess a poor mental coordination and may abandon his/her studies or educational pursuits at the long run. Indeed, any cultist is perpetually in bondage to fear, and has no regards for social and moral values. Above all, he/she is often destructive, merciless, unreasonably stubborn and extremely wicked. Suffice it to say that cultists have no regard for one’s life, even theirs.

Against this backdrop, there’s a compelling need to save our young ones from this irrational and blasphemous practice that will cost them not only their future but their lives as well, so that, the country can boast of leaders tomorrow. In regard to this, the parents/guardians ought to endeavour to keep every record of the activities of their wards, and endeavour from time-to-time to pay unscheduled visit to those residing in the school dormitory. The various school managements on their part should not hesitate to report to the concerned parent whenever they observe any strange behaviour in any student.

Most importantly, the various security agencies including the community based ones like the vigilante group are meant to variously mount their stations close to the secondary schools within their respective places of operation or even inside the schools’ premises. This measure, no doubt, will go a long way to checkmate the day-to-day activity of the students and also keep them away from any form of vulnerability that is likely to befall them. Obviously, the time to act is now. Think about it!

 

 COMR FRED D.N NWAOZOR

(The Media Ambassador)

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056
Follow: @fdnnwaozor / @fred_nwaozor    

Criticism and Nation-Building

THE ROLE OF CRITICISM IN NATION-BUILDING

       

Criticism can be defined as the expression of disapproval of someone or something. In the same vein, a critic of a person or system disapproves of them and expresses such view publicly; one who writes reviews and expresses opinions about books, films, music or any art work having considered it carefully can also be referred to as ‘a critic’.

Criticism is simply a matter of flushing out a certain thought or attitude and trying to change it. It is to show that things are not as self-evident as one believes. Thus, criticism ensures that what is accepted as self-evident will no longer be accepted as such. Suffice it to say; observance criticism in any society is a matter of making facile gestures or remarks difficult.

Criticisms are veritable recipes in any area of human endeavour. For instance; in Steward-Client relationship, if the client has a criticism to tender, it means he/she wants to give feedback on the services being rendered to him/her, thereby creating an opportunity for the steward to learn more about the person he is working for and how to convert them into a satisfied client member. Same measure is applicable in a Trader-Customer relationship.

Similarly, in business venture, working or partnering with someone who is patient and able to receive as well as act on criticism signifies that both parties involved can work towards a better or greater outcome. Furthermore; in movie production, criticism enables the producer to know what his audience actually want.

If one always thinks he is right but doesn’t get feedback from anyone else, he wouldn’t know if he is really doing well. Whether you are selling, servicing, performing, or leading, listening and acting on those honest views or reactions will tell you precisely what is good and what could be done better. Perhaps, you can use the information to change your performance, exhibition or product, as the case may be.

In public service, criticism has the tendency of guiding the public servants away from bad practices, and towards good and acceptable ones. It would enable the said workers to take a step back or have a rethink with a view to making amends or adjustment where necessary.

The socio-political arena is not left out while discussing the inevitable role of criticism in nation-building. Undoubtedly, a little constructive criticism from the members of the public such as the civil society groups, the electorate, the religious organizations or what have you, channelled towards the political office holders can yield the anticipated change in the country or society in question.

Considering the positive impact of constructive criticism, there is no gain reiterating the fact that it is indeed a welcome gesture or required factor toward the socio-economic development of any nation; hence, ought to be sustained. To this end, there is need for us to acknowledge that the language we use in response to criticism is vitally important.

Whenever criticism is tendered by any concerned individual or group, the recipient is expected to try at all cost to avoid getting into an argument. Instead, they should turn the exchange into a discussion on how to resolve the predicament; such approach would keep the door open for the required change.

Most importantly, criticisms are not meant to be taken personally. Even if one feels he/she is being criticized unfairly, he shouldn’t retaliate with an extreme knee-jerk reaction; such response will worsen the situation and can even harm the person’s reputation as well. Therefore, it is essential to always remember to not be offended by someone’s remarks even if you think it is a personal attack.

On the other hand; having noted the enormous significance of constructive criticism in nation-building, there is also a compelling need for the critics to be mindful at all times when tendering their criticisms. They should know when they are supposed to tender the criticism as well as how it ought to be presented. It is worthy to note that, some critics lack the orientation on when and how to present their criticism; this set of persons invariably tender their contrary opinions as a form of antagonism thereby making the supposed recipient misunderstand the gesture.

More so, critics are meant to comprehend that criticism is expected to be accompanied by the presumed remedy to the anomaly that is being criticized. Most so called critics usually end up raising a cloud of dust in the name of criticism. Unequivocally, a criticism that is not tendered with a presumed solution to the problem being criticized is simply a mere noise that is intended to cause a pandemonium or controversy rather than addressing the situation at hand.

In view of the aforementioned facts, everyone at all levels including political leaders, followers, craftsmen, traders, businessmen, teachers and public servants, as the case may be, is expected to take criticism seriously regardless of the circumstance in order not to abuse the tool, which has proven beyond any reasonable doubt to be the engine room of any nation-building. Think about it!

 

 

COMR FRED DOC NWAOZOR

(The Media Ambassador)
_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056
Follow: @fdnnwaozor / @fred_nwaozor