Mmaigbo Empowerment Foundation (MIEF) worldwide has unveiled their Skill Acquisition Centre at the Centre for Arts, Culture and Humanities, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
The unveiling ceremony organized by the Foundation in collaboration with Directorate of Centre for Arts, Culture and Humanities, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, attracted students, staff of the university, members of the Foundation, traditional rulers, political appointees, and other lovers of culture.
Mmaigbo Empowerment Foundation is a non-governmental organization established for the promotion and transformation of Igbo cultural heritage, values, dignity and identity, through skills acquisition and youth’s empowerment.
The Chief Executive Officer and Director General, Mmaigbo Empowerment Foundation, Comrade Uzo Ekemezie explained that many identities and values, are going into extinction among Ndigbo but requires immediate action for restoration, which includes high regards for Igbo attire, speaking and writing Igbo language, Igbo apprenticeship system, Igbo creative ability, industrious undertakings, and high taste for decency, both in public and private.
Comrade Ekemezie revealed that their core objectives are to include restoring the failing values, identity and pride of Ndigbo among youths through attitudinal re-orientation, skills acquisition in multi-tasking productive business enterprise and provision of necessary assistance for youths economic and financial independence as well as repositioning participants in their skills acquisition trainings to train others.
He mentioned their various achievements like one hundred and fifty youths trained by the foundation in various skills over the years, advocacy campaign on Igbo language, production of Igbo made organic food and drinks among others and appealed to Unizik to provide them with a piece of land for the construction of a permanent site of the foundation in the institution.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Unizik, Prof Charles Esimone, promised to look into the request of the foundation and noted that it is gratifying not to see Mmaigbo from the narrow perspective of cultural activism but from the higher view of the continued relevance of Igbo people in the highly competitive national and global economies of the digital century.
In her speech, the Director of Centre for Arts, Culture and Humanities, Unizik, Awka, Professor Nkechichinyere Nwokoye said that it was a great day in the history of the Centre, and that a new horizon of knowledge and skills acquisition is being launched within the institution, noting that the recent economic meltdown has not encouraged businesses but thanked God for Mmaigbo foundation for coming to the rescue through her skills acquisition programmes.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Entertainment, Mr. Don Onyenji disclosed some of the efforts of the state government aimed at promoting Igbo culture and tradition like the establishment of the ministry of culture which is profiling many Cultural heritage sites across the state and noted that what the Foundation is doing is highly commendable.
The Vice-President of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene commended Unizik and Mmaigbo foundation for their efforts in promoting Igbo language and culture and asked them not to relent.
The Guest of honour at the event, Dr. Dennis Ekemezie in an interview noted that the skill acquisition and empowerment programme of the foundation is not political but to salvage Igbo youths from social vices and make them self-reliant.
The event featured breaking of kolanut by the traditional ruler of Nise community, Igwe Romanus Iloh, unveiling of the temporary site of the Mmaigbo Empowerment Foundation which is equipped with sewing machines, electric ovens, hairdressing and barbing equipment, laptops among others.
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