ABUJA – The Ministry of Niger Delta said that it had empowered 908 non-militant youths on various skills acquisition since the creation of the ministry.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Dr, Steve Iru made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Iru said that the training of youths of the region was a continuous exercise designed to create employment for non-militant youths.
He said the ministry had trained youths on oil and gas, maritime, information communications technology (ICT) as well as iPad and telephone assembly. The minister said the beneficiaries were drawn from the nine oil producing states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers.
Iru further said that the ministry’s skills acquisition centres in the nine Niger Delta states were near completion.[eap_ad_2]
“The centre in Akwa Ibom and Delta States will concentrate on oil and gas, ICT and maritime studies.
“The centres in Abia and Imo will train youths in commerce, while the one in Cross River is on entertainment and tourism. The Ondo centre will focus on agriculture,’’ he said.
According to him, the ministry is working toward bringing all the centres on stream.
The minister said the ministry’s decision to contract the management of the centres to a private company was to ensure that they were effectively managed and sustained.
He said the ministry would continue to empower more youths on various skills acquisition at both local and international levels.
NAN recalls that the ministry empowered 100 youths, who recently concluded an intensive agricultural training at Galilee at the ISAC Agriculture Centre Israel. (NAN)[eap_ad_3]