The President of Lombardy, Attilio Fontana, has pledged his administration’s collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to establish a vocational training centre in Abuja and provide training opportunities for FCT youths in Lombardy, Italy.
Fontana made the commitment on Thursday during a meeting with FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who arrived in Milan in the early hours of Wednesday ahead of the high-level discussions.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the meeting also focused on agriculture and modern farming technologies, with both leaders exploring opportunities for investment in agribusiness.
Speaking at the meeting, Wike highlighted the FCT’s vast agricultural potential, noting that 800,000 hectares of land are available for development, with 274,000 hectares specifically allocated for agriculture.
“We are aware that the Lombardy Region is very strong in agriculture and vocational education. Our aim is to partner with investors to develop agriculture in Abuja and secure assistance in vocational training, especially in ICT and other skills acquisition programs for our youths and women,” Wike said.
He emphasized that vocational training was critical in reducing unemployment and curbing crime, adding that youth empowerment through ICT would create self-employment opportunities and reduce the number of young people on the streets.
In response, Fontana assured Wike of Lombardy’s readiness to collaborate, noting that the region accounts for more than 30% of Italy’s technical education.
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“Lombardy is a leading region in industry, battery manufacturing, and agriculture. We have expertise in education focused on software, innovation, and technology, which are crucial for the future. We are open to establishing vocational training centres in Abuja while also welcoming your youths to learn from our education model,” Fontana stated.
He further disclosed that his administration would prepare a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which could be signed immediately upon review by the FCTA delegation.
Accompanying Wike at the meeting were:
Dr. Danlami Hayyo – FCT Mandate Secretary for Education
Lawan Geidam – FCT Mandate Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development
The discussions mark a significant step in strengthening Nigeria-Italy bilateral relations, with a focus on economic development, skills acquisition, and agricultural advancement in the FCT.