NO fewer than 200 youths across the Niger Delta region, recently graduated from a Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) sponsored training in welding and fabrication.
The training was organised in recognition of the importance of skills in the engineering sector, especially in oil and gas, construction and manufacturing.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the trainees in welding and fabrication in Port Harcourt, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the goal of the training was to equip the participants with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the field and create new opportunities and possibilities for the youth.
He noted that the graduation ceremony was held simultaneously in three other centres where the training was conducted, namely: Eket in Akwa Ibom State; Warri in Delta State and Benin in Edo State.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that the trainees were drawn from the nine states covered by the NDDC.
Ogbuku, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Reverend Julius Oworibo, said that the NDDC management recognised the need to bring youths of the region into the mainstream of the nation’s oil and gas industry, saying “It cannot be over-emphasised that the oil and gas industry is the mainstay of the nation’s economy and oil is mainly gotten from the Niger Delta region.
“Therefore, the youth of the region must be adequately equipped with knowledge and skills to compete favourably in the industry.”
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer noted that the Regional Development Master Plan of the commission listed capacity building and human resources development as one of the strategic plans to be stressed to reverse the many years of neglect of the Niger Delta region.
In his address, the NDDC Director, Commercial and Industrial Development, Dr. Godwin Nosiri, said the NDDC was empowering the youth of the Niger Delta to actively participate in economic activities and thus contribute to the development of the region.
The director urged the graduates of the training programme to make effective use of the equipment and started packs given to them to provide required services to the public as well as generate income to support their families.
The lead consultant for the training, Dr Solomon Edebiri, commended the NDDC for sponsoring the programme, saying, “This singular act among other star projects the commission is undertaking attests to your commitment to redefining development in the Niger Delta area.”
Speaking on behalf of the trained youths, Mr. Onyema Godspower thanked the NDDC for giving the youth an opportunity to be useful to the society.
He appealed for the expansion of the training to accommodate more youths.
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