FG targets capacity development among youths through vocation training

The Federal Government has embarked on an initiative that would empower over 500 youths with skills in various areas as a way to curb unemployment and guide the youths in the North-East of Nigeria away from violent activities.

The initiative, which is currently sponsored by the Presidential Initiative for the North-East (PINE) will use the opportunity to train them on rice re-bagging exercise.

Mohammed Danjuma, the programme development and implementation associate, said the exercise is designed to provide skills acquisition and empowerment opportunity for over 500 youths within the six states of the North-East.

“These youths will not only be empowered with new skills and equipment. They will also be temporarily employed for the duration of the re-bagging exercise,” he explained.

He noted that PINE as a federal government agency, would boost the component of the exercise and espousing the intrinsic benefits of empowering the youths with the requisite skills that would later enable them make a living for themselves.

Danjuma also assured that the initiative will help them become responsible citizens towards contributing to the stimulation of the local economy.

Panmwa Sim Bewaran, the finance and administrative manager, Lintex International Limited, said Lintex is partnering with PINE as consultant and contractor towards making the programme an achievable one.

“The initiative binding both parties includes, bagging of 500,000 bags of rice in 6 North Eastern States on entrepreneurial skill training in sealing of the bags of rice,” she revealed.

She also noted the States that would benefit from this project include Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe and Maiduguri respectively.

Bewaran further explained the collaboration is to undertake and oversee the economic rejuvenation and redevelopment of the North-Eastern States of Nigeria.

She added it would help to implement an emergency assistance and economic stabilisation programme in the above mentioned States.

Bewaran also averred that Lintex as the sole consultant and contractor to the initiative will oversee the project, which is in line with the mandate and objectives of PINE

“At the end of the programme, the over 500 youth would have been equipped with sealing, packing and loading machines to start up their own businesses,” she assured.

IFEOMA OKEKE