Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) have expressed their intent for collaboration in the training of Niger Delta ex-agitators on related areas in the power sector.
The planned collaboration will see NAPTIN train the ex-agitators as part of the non-formal education vocational training scheme of the Amnesty Programme.
According to a statement issued on Friday by Freston Akpor, Special Adviser, Media to the PAP Interim Administrator, Major-Gen Barry Ndiomu (rtd.), the latest collaboration formed part of discussions held when the NAPTIN Director-General, Mr. Ahmed Bolaji Nagode, and his management team paid a courtesy call on the PAP Interim Administrator.
Nagode expressed the readiness of NAPTIN to partner with PAP in broader areas to build the capacity of ex-agitators and youths in the Niger Delta to play critical roles in the power and related sectors.
“Youths from the Niger Delta, who undergo the training scheme, would not only become self-reliant but also job creators and employers of labour who would grow the nation, improve human capital and make Nigeria better economically,” he said.
The Director-General highlighted three key areas for skill acquisition and development in the power sector, including Solar PV Installation, Mini Grid and Metering, which according to him, will enhance job creation and help ex-agitators to become independent.
Nagode explained that “as an institute, NAPTIN is at the fore to develop those trade skills for the power sector which is also in line with the policy direction of the PAP Interim Administrator’s desire to see youths from the Niger Delta drive the economic growth of the region”.
Responding, the PAP Interim Administrator expressed gratitude to the NAPTIN team for the seriousness it attached to the earlier request for a collaboration, and assured them that efforts are on to design a workable plan to get the project up and running.
He said PAP under his watch was eager to see that registered ex-agitators from the region are empowered with relevant skills to build their capacity to enable them become self-reliant.
The Interim Administrator had earlier paid a visit to NAPTIN to broker a partnership between PAP and the institute to train and build the capacity of ex-agitators from the Niger Delta in power-related areas.
