.

By Peter Okutu, Abakaliki

A Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, Dr Nnanna Igwe Foundation in partnership with Ebonyi Business School, weekend, trained over 1,000 youths drawn from the three senatorial zones of the State.

The youths comprising both unemployed graduates and non-graduates were trained in various fields of human endeavours, including Agriculture and entrepreneurship development at different locations within each of the zones.

Briefing Newsmen in Abakaliki, on the outcome of the three-day programme, Dr Nnanna Igwe, the Initiator and Chief Executive of the Foundation stated that the essence of the programme was to redirect the minds of youths towards productive ventures, in order to make them become self-reliant.

“The reasons behind this important project are to teach the youths how to fish and not to give them fish, to make them to be critical thinkers and help them to stand on their feet and be innovative, to enable them to be creators of jobs and employers of jobs rather than waiting for the government to employ them.”

According to him, we mean business with this training because we want to tackle unemployment. By tackling unemployment, we will be occupying the mind of the youths with positive activities that will take them off the streets and not to engage them in crimes, use of drugs and other things that impact them negatively and it will contribute to our economy. They will be able to live a fulfilled and meaningful life.”

Igwe who noted that the youths that underwent the training would be financially empowered in the next phase of the programme added that “In the next phase, we will be partnering with organizations to access funds for starting Small/ Medium scale enterprises. Organizations like Bank of Industry, CBN and individuals to create soft loans. Not only that, we are going to be mentoring them because, if you give somebody cash, they may misuse it but if you mentor them, guide them, they will be able to invest the money and make progress.”

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Governorship Aspirant in Ebonyi State further explained that the programme would assist the State and the country at large to tackle unemployment challenges head-on.

In his words: “Moreover, it will also help to tackle head-on the unemployment problems not only in Ebonyi state but in the entire nation. In Ebonyi State, the Governor has been doing fantastic jobs in infrastructure and by extension, what he has been doing is impacting positively on the job market.

“It is the people that do the jobs are Ebonyi people. So, they are employed in the construction industry and to be honest, in developed countries, when things are hard, they actually go into construction and they absorb labour, get people working and earn money and spend in other sectors.

“So, I think the government is in the right direction. But this programme of training Ebonyi graduates that are not employed to help them start their own businesses; multi- medium scale enterprises will help to partner the development effort in tackling unemployment.

“We started on the 1st of March the first day of the programme. We trained over 400 participants at Onueke stadium for Ebonyi central and which comprises Ezza South, Ezza North, Ishielu and Ikwo local government area. Then on the 2nd of March, we were at the people’s club here in Abakaliki the state capital and we trained over 370 participants from Abakalik, Izzi, Ebonyi and Ohaukwu local government and that is for Ebonyi North.

“The 3rd day is the grand finale, we were at Afikpo North and over 300 people were trained as well and they comprise people from Afikpo North, Afikpo South, Onicha, Ivo and Ohaozara local governments and that is for Ebonyi South.

“So, having concluded the programme, we gave them certificates which will be used in subsequent programmes because this training that we have just concluded is the first phase of the empowerment programme and that training and certification is very expensive. It costs about N150,000 if you want to enrol on your own but we paid for all the beneficiaries and offered it free to the participants.

“So, I am very happy that in Afikpo south, I saw some pig farmers who agreed to partner with us and offer some apprenticeships or further training to those participants so that they can get extra skills and be able to write proposals, which will be bankable to allow us to be able to succeed with the Bank of Industry or CBN Agricultural programme or some other programmes we are going to engage on.”

Vanguard News Nigeria