By Justina Auta
The Nigeria German Centre for Jobs Migration and Reintegration (NGC) and the Artsier Studios, Abuja, have partnered to support unemployed, underemployed and returning migrant youths with job opportunities.
Ms Sandra Vermuijten, Team Lead, Programme Migration for Development of the German Government, during a two-day ‘`made in Nigeria’’ art exhibition in Abuja on Friday, said the effort would harness opportunities in the creative sector.
Vermuijten said the NGC was a partnership between Nigeria and the German Government under the Migration for Development programme by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
According to her, it is implemented by the Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GmbH (GIZ).
She said that the 2023 exhibition featured 10 Nigerian artists that participated in a made in Nigeria art competition and master class organised by the NGC.
“Our aim is to support unemployed and underemployed youths and returning migrants with employment opportunities, and economic and social reintegration through three job centres and working in close collaboration with the migrants’ resource centre of Nigeria.
“We provide a wide variety of support services for people to get into jobs and the creative sector is an important generator of employment in Nigeria, that’s one part of the story.
“The other part of the story is that we believe there is a need for innovative creative language around topics of employment and migration and this type of exhibition also contributes to that.
“What we do is also to raise awareness around the risks of irregular migration and the impact of migration.
“It’s about creating another narrative around migration because we are always looking for new ways to touch people with the message; to campaign basically, so this artworks exhibition is to contribute to that,’’ she said.
The team lead further said that the organisation supported the young artists that participated in the master class with working tools, two weeks master class with experts in their sector and an art exhibition to propel and support their career.
She said that this was the fourth edition of the initiative and the select process was online with an Instagram hashtag made in Nigeria art from 2021 until now.
She added that so far, about 90 artists participated including 10 for this year.
Mrs Daju Kachallom, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, said that due to the unemployment rate among youths, the partnership with the German government through the NGC had created 200 jobs through skill development like art exhibition.
Kachallom, represented by Mr John Nyamali, a Director, Employment and Wages Department, said the partnership between both countries had provided employment in various fields for the youths.
“We are all aware that there are no white collar jobs any longer, so, we are trying to find other employment opportunities for job creation through building the skills of our youths instead of them going about looking for white collar jobs.
“We have provided jobs to 140,000 Nigerian youths through this partnership in other areas like fashion, catering, ICT, fisheries and so many others that we are collaborating with GIZ to enhance employment among the youth,” she said.
Mr Andrew Alhamdu, one of the participating artists, said the art master class provided an opportunity to connect with fellow highly creative artists and interact with them in spite the distinct differences in styles.
Alhamdu’s figurative paintings reverberates an echo of life’s issues shaped by the African experience seen in the moods and looks of objects.
Similarly, Ms Abdulkareem Silifat-Ozioma, a final year student and a photographer, said her work was inspired by human emotion, personal experiences, environment, societal struggle and African history.
