From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Federal Government has said it has concluded arrangements to empower poor and vulnerable persons in the 95 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the South East with vocational skills and other empowerment initiatives in line with its determination to reduce youth unemployment in the zone.
An indigenous support group under the auspices of South East Support for N-Power and Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs (SESNAM), made the disclosure in a statement by its National Coordinator, Kamsi Uzodimma.
The group said the move by the government was in furtherance of ongoing social investment programmes (SIPs), spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
According to SESNAM, the investment programmes would be in the areas of vocational skills like ttailoring, carpentry, shoe making, trading etc), aquaculture, and healthcare.
The support group further explained that the social interventions, approved by the Federal Government, were part of measures to assure the South East remained an integral part of the Nigerian State.
“We use this medium to assure Ndigbo, bothat home and in the diaspora, that the Federal Government is interested in the development of the South East, as in other zones of the country. As a support group, SESNAM is undertaking awareness campaigns throughout the length and breadth of the South East, aimed at calling out beneficiaries of N-Power and other SIPs in the zone, to come out and tell the stories of their turn-around.”