From Fred Itua, Abuja
The Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh, has reaffirmed the federal government’s dedication to ending unrest in the Niger Delta region through inclusive and sustainable initiatives aimed at empowering at least 10,000 young people across nine states of the region.
Momoh gave the assurance while declaring open a vocational training programme in soap, detergents and home disinfectants production for 84 trainees yesterday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, noting that the training which had already been held in Edo and Delta states, has so far produced about 295 beneficiaries.
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Special Duties, Augustine Azebeokhai, the minister stated that since taking office, the ministry’s initiatives focused on youth development and humanitarian programs have led to a significant decrease in agitation and unrest in the region.
Therefore, he urged the beneficiaries to leverage the programme to develop their professional expertise and become self-sufficient, as the government’s capacity to provide jobs is limited, and innovative entrepreneurship is vital for prosperity.
He said: “We have the core mandate as a ministry to train and bring the youths out of poverty and that has contributed immensely in bringing down youths’ restiveness in the region.
“We are targeting between 5,000 and 10,000 youths in the event of improved budget,” he explained and urged the beneficiaries to maximally utilise the scheme with the hope that it would provide the needed cash leverage to lift them above the poverty line.
“The project consultant and chief executive officer of Samgreen Resources Nigeria (SRN) Limited, Mr Elton Onwu, explained that the all-encompassing scheme would also cover agriculture and all the value chains in the sector in order to address youth unemployment and food insecurity in the region.”