Eromosele Abiodun
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has donated goods and items to over 200 people at Umuoziri Inyisi, Ikeduru local government area in Imo State, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR).
The initiative was geared towards equipping Nigerian youths in the communities, with vocational and life skills that create wealth and support livelihood.
Speaking at the presentation of items to the people of Umuoziri Inyisi, the Managing Director, NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman, who was represented by the Principal Manager, Corporate/Strategic Communication in the agency, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, expressed the institution’s commitment to positively impact lives and give back to society.
According to Bala-Usman, ‘’the NPA is the regulatory body for all the ports in Nigeria and as a federal government agency, the Authority is deliberate about contributing to the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to drastically reduce the number of people who live in abject poverty in our country. The presentation we are having is in furtherance of this determination.
“I am hopeful that these items, which include electrical grinding machines, sewing machines, and hand grinding machines will go a long way in putting food on the table for people in the community. We also hope that once beneficiaries get to work with these items, they would be able to take care of the basic needs of life that were hitherto problematic.”
She noted that the NPA was interested in the empowerment of women and the youth, “giving the importance of the assistance that they can give to our fathers in the upbringing of children and the maintenance of our families while in the case of the youth, it is important that they have some work at hand at every material time so that they will not be tempted to engage in anti-social activities.”
Concerning the items being presented, she said, “the Authority had taken particular note of people with skills and those without skills. This is why we have Sewing machines, which will be distributed to people who have learned the trade. The grinding machines are meant for women and youths who have not acquired these skills.’’
The traditional ruler of Inyisi Autonomous Community, Eze Andrew Osuji applauded NPA for initiating the programme to benefit the youths of the community.
