Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
As part of efforts to boost employment opportunities and self-reliance, Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND), a Non-Governmental Organisation, has trained 200 youths on how to operate, install and maintain small to medium solar PV technology solutions and project management.
The training which lasted for months, had the youths from three senatorial districts of Edo State trained in various skills of renewable energy, agriculture, industry among others.
Speaking at the event, wife of Edo State Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, said the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration will continue to groom youths in the state on-demand skill-set, especially in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), to prepare them to contribute to the state’s fledgling economy.
Mrs Obaseki who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Gender, Ms Efosa Uyigue, commended PIND, the state’s Skills Development Agency (EdoJobs) and other partners for equipping youths with relevant skills to transform the state’s economy.
She said the skills programme was a dream come true, noting that she has always been passionate about skills development as an avenue to provide real solutions to problems confronting the Nigerian society.
“The application of ICT such as coding technology has the capacity of addressing the mirage of problems and improve the lives of people in the state,” she added.
While congratulating the graduands, she urged them to recognise the value of skills they were taught and that they should be courageous to use the knowledge acquired to create the needed change in the society.
Earlier, the Manager, PIND Appropriate Technology Enabled Development, Dr. Teslin Giwa said the essence of the training was to provide alternative measure to the problem of electricity in the country due to incessant failure of electricity providers.
Also addressing the graduands, the Manager, Advocacy and Analysis, PIND, Dr. Chuks Ofulue who noted that the programme would be in batches, said the youths would be given a starter pack to go into the business and in turn, become employers of labour in their various skills acquired.
Ofulue explained that PIND foundation has a market development programme to groom the youths on marketing skills to sell their products to the people.
Some beneficiaries of the programme commended PIND for the opportunity of exposing them to such skills to better their lives. They appealed to the body and state government to expedite action in making funds available for them to commence operation.
