The Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) has collaborated with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to empower thirty unemployed youths with technical skills in housing construction and entrepreneurship as part of its 2022 Corporate Social Responsibility program.
This year’s exercise marks the seventh batch of NMRC’s annual skills acquisition program, which aims to enhance the livelihoods of youth and contribute to tackling the skills gap in the housing construction industry in the country.
The beneficiaries underwent a two-month intensive training program in tiling, plumbing, POP design, and electrical installations.
In his remarks at the closing ceremony of the vocational skills training program in Lagos, the Managing Director of the NMRC, Mr. Kehinde Ogundimu, said he is immensely proud of the NMRC/ITF Class of 2022. He noted that the training program had equipped the graduands with relevant skills to take charge of their lives.
He added that the exercise aligns with NMRC’s CSR policy of impacting lives, empowering unemployed and vulnerable persons, and contributing to ongoing efforts to redress the shortage of qualified artisans in Nigeria’s building and construction industry.
“The housing construction industry, as a major employer of labor, has a significant role to play in redressing the unemployment situation in the country. That is why at NMRC, we have deliberately tailored our Corporate Social Responsibility towards empowering Nigerian youths with practical, market-ready vocational skills in housing construction. This will enable them to profitably take advantage of the growth opportunities in the sector for self-employment and entrepreneurship. Through our CSR program, we aim to build a pool of highly qualified local artisans that would discourage developers from bringing in personnel from other countries for their projects.” Kehinde Ogundimu, MD/CEO, NMRC.
The NMRC CEO thanked the management of the ITF for the continued partnership and timely completion of the training program.
Also speaking at the event, the Area Manager, ITF Ikeja, Mr. Victor Awoniyi, thanked the NMRC for being a responsive sponsorship partner to ITF and sustaining the program for over seven years. Mr. Awoniyi noted that the annual training programs are laudable and positively impact the lives of the beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries expressed appreciation to NMRC and ITF for empowering them with the capacity to lead more economically viable lives and become more responsible Nigerian citizens.
About NMRC
NMRC is a CBN-licensed mortgage liquidity facility with the core mandate of developing the primary and secondary mortgage markets. NMRC raises long-term funds from the capital market for mortgage refinancing and promotes affordable housing development and home ownership in Nigeria. NMRC was incorporated on 24th June 2013 and obtained its final license to operate as a non-deposit-taking financial institution from the CBN on 18th February 2015.