By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos – Over 350 youths in Plateau State are set to get training in 36 relevant skills as sponsored by the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission, HYPPADEC to improve their socio-economic wellbeing and enable them to contribute towards the development of the State and country.

The Managing Director of HYPPADEC, Abubakar Sadiq disclosed that the training would be between three to six months depending on what the beneficiaries want to learn, adding that the Commission will support them with startup grants to enable them to set up after their training so that they can train others.

HYPPADEC addresses ecological and socioeconomic challenges of communities affected by operations of hydroelectric dams in Nigeria and the beneficiaries are drawn from Bassa, Bokkos, and Barkin Ladi local government areas of the State.

The MD noted, “If HYPPADEC will address youth unemployment in HYPPADEC producing states we have achieved our mandate. The Commission has come with a different approach of putting a smile on the faces of communities… 56 Local Government Areas within the six States of HYPPADEC enjoyed free medical outreach.”

The State Governor, Simon Lalong, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the State, Professor Danladi Atu at the event tagged  “HYPPADEC Youth Transformation Programme in Plateau State” said, “the flag-off of the programme is borne out of the determination to develop the young people through community development, and the gesture would take more youths off the streets.

He stated the government through the Plateau State Microfinance Development Agency, PLASMIDA has concluded plans to train 10,000 youths in welding and fabrication, tailoring, hairdressing, catering, among others before the exit of the administration.

Earlier, a Member of HYPPADEC Governing Council representing Plateau State, Prof. Saleh Mohammed added, the Commission has started taking action on some of the problems identified in the communities such as; the lack of potable drinking water by sinking solar-powered boreholes across the HYPPADEC States.