500 Boko Haram victims begin UN-sponsored vocational training

oke efagene

August 17, 2015 2:12 PM

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has sponsored 500 victims of the Boko Haram insurgency from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states to acquire vocational skills.

Some internally displaced persons in North-East Nigeria

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has sponsored 500 victims of the Boko Haram insurgency from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states to acquire vocational skills.

Commencing today, Monday 17th of August, the training programme is being executed under the UNDP Livelihood Support Scheme and will cover computer studies, leatherworks, GSM repair, hair dressing, tailoring, knitting, catering and decoration and shoe-making.

A UN Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Analyst, Matthew Alao, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that it is the first phase of UN efforts towards assisting internally displaced persons in the North East.

He revealed that the 500 trainees, selected from "over 2,000 applications" will first under a compulsory two-week orientation programme before the main training commences.

“They are going to undergo physical exercise, training, capacity building on mediation, conflict prevention, conflict transformation, social integration, peaceful coexistence for two weeks," he said.

“We are also going to train them on mediation and conflict transformation as well as business management; after that, we will put them on six-month to one-year training."

Alao said the need to support victims who have lost their livelihoods in the insurgency birthed the project

“Some of them had means of livelihood before, but unfortunately their means of sustaining livelihood have been cut short because of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“But we want to assure them that for every one that is impacted in one way or the other, they will be accommodated in the various phases of the Early Recovery Programme."

He said the UN will continue to support displaced person.

oke efagene