CENSIRT HP GET-IT Centre of Excellence, Nigeria

Wednesday, 09 December 2009 13:24

ImageCENSIRT – Center for Skill Development and Training, also known as the Centre for Small Industry Research and Training, is a response to the poverty situation in the Nigerian state of Ebonyi and beyond. The Centre has skill, management and entrepreneurial training as some of its core activities. The HP GET-IT programme is one of CENSIRT’s training programmes. Since the launch of the CENSIRT GET-IT Centre in November 2008, CENSIRT has trained 759 young graduates and 5,391 youth service corps members.  Out of the 759 youth trained on GET-IT,
  • 57 started their own business in modern agriculture, industry, computer outfits, etc
  • 255 found jobs in their fields of choice in different parts of the country,
  • 264 were able to work more efficiently in their work places within Ebonyi State Civil Service and the Public Sector,
  • 33 went for further studies,
  • 150 were secondary school students.
Click here to download the pdf version of the CENSIRT poster

 

 

Know more about Censirt, Nigeria, on the following HP GET-IT Video:

Success stories

Ebonyi Digital Farmers

Among CENSIRT’s GET-IT success stories are Ebonyi Digital Farmers – 25 young entrepreneurs trained on GET-IT who since completing the training established 25 farms in different localities in the State. 

Graduate unemployment is a major problem facing youth in Nigeria, in part because the local business environment makes it difficult for ordinary/conventional business initiatives to succeed. As a result, young people lack motivation to establish their own enterprise.  Such frustration gives rise to considerable frustration, and even contributes to increases in crime rates.  CENSIRT started looking for a solution, at the same time that the Ebonyi State Government decided to tackle this challenge.  The GET-IT programme was seen as one initiative that could contribute to the alleviation of this situation.

Being an agrarian state, the obvious sector of comparative advantage in Ebonyi is farming. The government therefore recruited 25 young graduates and sent them to Songhai Farm in Benin Republic for training with the aim having them open their own farm businesses upon return.  CENSIRT and the Government Authorities agreed to make GET-IT a major part of this training. The Government also provided micro credit.

The 25 youths have since established 25 functional farm businesses in the State in rice production, poultry production, piggery, aquaculture...  With knowledge gained in the GET-IT training, they designed their own website www.ebonyistatesonghaiyouthfarmers.org. The website was officially launched by the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, and the opening was reported in local and national radio, TV and print media!