With reference to your passionate statement in the inaugural speech of 29th May, 2015, I make this solemn proposal as suggestions to support the initiative – “we intend to attack the problem frontally through revival of credit to medium size businesses to kick-start these enterprises”.
The artisans are basically people in endeavor to acquire some skills or crafts through informal education, there are some people who pass through formal education to acquire such skills or craft though. By inward observation, the said artisans form major part of our economy as they are found in almost every family especially in the grassroots but are neglected or not encouraged by the government. These artisans include – automobile mechanics, welders, furniture-makers, carpenters, electronics repairers, shoe makers, watch/phone repairers, brick-layers, weavers, artists, drafts-men, tillers, pop makers, interlock stone layers, blacksmiths, alumaco fixers, bore-hole drillers, air-conditioner/refrigerator/gen-set repairers, tailors/designers, etc.
As a result of their know-how in skills and crafts, this sector is vital for technological development of our economy and fit in as the core conduit for instilling technology into the country. Therefore, if the government can recognize this ability and utilize it to import technology into the country, such initiative shall effect rapid and sustainable industrialization in the society.
In effect, my proposal is to humbly draw attention of the appropriate authorities to observe the dire need for dynamic and proactive empowerment initiatives for repositioning the economy through recognition of the ability in the artisan sector for technological development in the country. Behold, ‘technology is not mostly achieved by given but stolen’.
Therefore, I am proposing to the government to organize the artisan sector and pick the talented ones among them for importing technology into the country through short term trainings aboard.
To further buttress my point that ‘technology is not often given but stolen’, it is common knowledge that China, Taiwan, Hung Kong, India, Malaysia etc are not used to travelling outside their country to the western worlds especially yet today they are among the world leading technological countries. Obviously they stole such technology from the developed nations and this they were able to achieve via hacking of database of the western worlds in search for technology as well as imitating products from developed countries like America, Europe etc to pick the theory behind such technological know- how.
At the early stage of this quest for technological know-how, they were regarded as the 3rd word if not 5th world, as their products were so inferior that it became synonymous with their names, for example, in the past, inferior products were referred to as Taiwan but today, Taiwan products are one of the best and costly too. Also China that was formerly looked down on is today the bed-rock of America/Europe etc for production in terms of labor-force though as well as in technology of course.
However, it would have been the same with Aba of then Imo State because it was formerly a great market known for such imitating pattern as China with the result that products from Aba were also named, Aba-made due to its inferiority and poor finishing. But if there was a back-up and or encouragement from the government, today, Aba would have ranked among those countries – Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Hung-Kong etc, but it is never too late. If the government can take the bull by the horn and rise-up to the occasion in partnership with the financial institutions, multi-nationals, big companies, religious organizations etc, we shall be there before long.
THE TARGET MISSION AND STRATEGY
On this premise, the arrangement is to have the said artisan sector organized with focus on picking the talented ones from – automobile mechanics, welders, furniture-makers, carpenters, electronics repairers (TV/plasma repairs), shoe makers, watch/phone repairers, brick-layers, weavers, artists, drafts-men, tillers, pop makers, interlock stone layers, blacksmiths, alumaco fixers, bore-hole drillers, air-conditioner/refrigerator/gen-set repairers, tailors/designers, painters, panel beaters etc, and in addition, pick talented graduates of information technology (IT) for computer programming, engineering, networking etc for short trainings abroad. By so doing, technology shall be gradually imported into the country without too loud-a-bark.
ARRANGEMENTS AND FUNDING
In the arrangement for the short trainings abroad, workshops are to be organized in various quarters for the said artisans. Aim of such forum is to educate and enlighten them on the reason for the mission; hence to see need to conduct themselves as good ambassadors and compatriots of our great nation. The funding of this program shall be by the government or in partnership with finance institutions etc, and or, partly by those picked for the training. In which case, they may be told to take care of procurement of their international passports or even including raising part of the traveling cost (flight ticket), while the government / financial institutions/corporate bodies/ telecommunication etc shall foot the rest cost.
Furthermore, while the training is on-going, the government and partners should arrange with the training firms abroad, in the respective countries to procure the (major) tools/equipment and establish centers here in Nigeria where the tools/equipment are to be show-cased such that on coming back, they can buy the tools/equipment on installment basis or out-right as case may be but at a subsidized rate. The government can also go extra mile to map out areas (zones) for their workshops for each of the courses (say mechanic zone, carpentry zone etc) to ensure sanity and an organized scenery in the society.
THE BENEFITS AND GAIN
On the other hand, to facilitate the program, the involved partners (like the finance institutions etc) can under special arrangements with the government, bank-roll the entire cost through to the training abroad (procurement of the international passport, flight ticket etc), such that the trained ones will have to pay back on installment basis from the proceeds once he/she is back from the training and is established here. Upon successful achievement of this program, the youths (grassroots) are empowered, rapid development in terms of technology and industrialization shall take front seat in the country, and above all, unemployment takes exit way out of the country. When they return back and establish an out-fit in their areas of specialization, he or she will definitely absorb apprentices to learn work under him/her, hence medium (mini companies) shall spring up everywhere to the delight of the society. And even, some of them may be enterprising enough to woo some trainers for partnership here in the country.
Besides, the initiative has the tendency of creating employment opportunities and raise standard of living of the people, give the society/government a lease of relief from much money/live spent on fight against crime, beneficiaries of the program shall gain a financial boost to carter for the education of their young ones and children thereby reduce illiteracy in the society, it will help to build a crime-free society and consequently instill happiness in minds of the said beneficiaries (the trained artisans, traders and jobless youths) – ‘happy tummy breeds happy mind, in effect, a happier society free of anger-filled minds that leads to rampant fights’ (resulting from frustrations of joblessness, hunger etc) will emerge – note, “anger is one letter short of danger”, chains of other businesses receiving patronage from beneficiaries of this noble program will flourish, it will also create a more enlighten society entrenched in contentment and fun, through this initiative the society will ultimately inherit a host of empowered and employed youths and of course, it is a giant stride for building an industrialized and poverty alleviated society everybody (you and I) will cherish and enjoy, as well as, have the opportunity to share in the increased prosperity.
Above all, by success of this program the country would be presented with an enterprising and buoyant economy as government shall gain geometric increase in IGR via Tax, VAT etc, and this will build a legacy for the government in power including an advantaged platform for subsequent campaigns for future elections in the country.
CHALLENGES AND REMEDY
However, in the course of sending them for the training abroad, we shall be careful enough to select countries we have very mutual relationship with and highly technological in the relevant fields like – Germany, America, Sweden, Holland, China, Italy, Greece, Taiwan, Russia, Malaysia, Hong-Kong, Japan India (for IT) etc. Note that in the arrangement, once the trainees arrive any of the country posted for the training, his/her international passport will be collected by our envoy until end of the training. This is to prevent those that may intend to abscond on arrival. Also, the envoy should be instructed to monitor them in collaboration with the firms for the assignment in the respective countries. Meanwhile, among the prerequisites to qualify anyone for the program is to extract his/her full information (profile) via filling of form(s) with provisions for reputable sureties as well as close family member(s) to under-sign.
Incisively, this initiative is aimed at empowering the artisans as well as the youths and traders in our society, through training abroad for technology importation and industrialization of the country.
God bless Nigeria…!
Yours faithfully,
Mmadubom N. Guy U.
Awka, Anambra State.
Tel: 081-7862-8004
E-mail: mmadubom4nemo@gmail.com
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