JOE EFFIONG, UYO
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Umana Okon Umana has challenged youths in Niger Delta region on the need to run profitable enterprises that would engage other youths in the community, build their capacities, and stimulate the development of MSMEs in the region.
Obong Umana who said this while addressing the youth at the graduation ceremony of the Training and Empowerment of 230 youths on agriculture and its value chains, ICT and entrepreneurship for women and youths drawn from various states of the Niger Delta, on Saturday, at agic lecture theatre, University Of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, explained that the initiative, facilitated by his ministry, was one of the federal government endeavours aimed at diversifying the economy, reorienting values and generating employment for women, youths and other vulnerable groups in the Niger Delta Region.
Represented by Mr Alfred Abber, the permanent secretary in the ministry, the minister said the “programme was put together with the expectation of achieving, inter alia, the following objectives: Impacting theoretical and practical knowledge;
Providing skills in ICT;
Guaranteeing ability to access the internet, for interaction with the world; Enabling beneficiaries to manage businesses for enterprise development;
Generating income within and outside the family.”
” Considering the antecedents of the training consultants, I make bold to say that you must have been given the finest, in terms of quality, of resource persons and facilitators for this programme.
“You were equally provided with a conducive learning environment, within the premises of the great University of Uyo, including appropriate nutrition and medicare for effective assimilation of knowledge and transfer of wisdom. Therefore, the sky is now your starting point,” Umana said.
He added that the training started 2013, and had trained not less than 10, 000 youths, is expected to prepare youths for the tasks of the future.
“However, the ministry is aware that training without support at the terminal point is an effort in futility. Hence, as part of the programme, an empowerment package has been put together by way of start-up capital.
“This will be credited directly by the training consultant, into the bank account details you have provided, under the strict of supervision by the ministry.
” The package is meant for you to commence a micro or small enterprise on what you have been taught during the period of this training”. He said.
Mr Iniobong Okon, one of the consultants advised the participants to invest the fund given to them for utility purpose.
“The fund is not for your consumption; it is for wealth creation. Think of what to invest the money on. If you don’t want to go into farming you can invest in other businesses which you can as well empower others. The basics of survival is agriculture that is why we hammer on agriculture”.
Beneficiaries of the programme expressed gratitude to the sponsor, and consultants and promised to invest on areas they were taught which include poultry, fisheries, sewing, marketing and product processing.
