The Rivers State Government has reiterated its commitment to create employment and engage the youth in skills acquisition programme that would better their lots and make them self reliant.
Governor Nyesom Wike made the disclosure while speaking at the closing ceremony of the National Industrial Skills Developlemt Programme (NISDP) at the Civic Centre Moscow road in Port Harcourt. He noted that government is putting every machineries in motion to ensure the youths benefits maximally from this present government.
The Rivers State Governor was represented by the Commissioner for Employment generation and Economic Empowerment, Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa, maintained that there were so many areas of comparative advantage that the Rivers State Governor would want the youths to be trained.
He said: “Like I mention earlier, we have a lot of area of comparative advantage that we want our people trained so that we will have people that are doing something in the State”.
Hon. Nwibubasa who is also a medical doctor however lauded the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) which is the main organizer of the programme in collaboration with the Rivers State Government under the ministry of employment generation and economic empowerment for what the organization has done in the area of youths empowerment programme in Rivers State and across the nation.
He explained that PTF has been there since 1971 and had also been very consistent and expressed the need for more improvement. Mr. Nwibubasa said “Nigeria is not an isolated place, we are in a global market, we are affected by global competition in the economy, in technology and every other area so PTF being a leading organization must double up to meet the challenges”.
Also he advised the graduands to build on what they had learnt and continue to get themselves improved in other training. He stated that PTF has given them the first start and they should take advantage of the opportunity.
On his part Sir Joseph Ari the director General/Chief Executive of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) explained that NISDP is one of the numerous skills acquisition intervention programmes introduced and implemented by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to facilitate the achievement of Buhari administration’s policy on job and wealth creation.
He said the programme which focus on skills acquisition would create jobs to stem rampant unemployment and breed a new generation of entrepreneurs in order to transform the economic landscape of the country.
Speaking in the same vein, the Area manager Industrial Training Fund Port Harcourt, Mr. Emmanuel Isiwu noted that the national industrial skills development programme was basically designed and developed by the Industrial Training Fund to equip the youths between the age of 18-35 years with the requisite skills knowledge and attitude needed to create wealth for themselves and the nation at large.
Mr. Emmanuel expressed joy that the 2019 NISDP in Rivers State was very successful. He said about 250 youths were recruited in collaboration with the Rivers State ministry of employment generation and economic empowerment and were trained in selected trades which include catering and event management, aluminum fabrication and installation as well as photography.
He however used the opportunity to thank Governor Wike for approving the participation and collaboration of the state government with ITF on his programme and therefore urged all the graduands to take advantage of the opportunity.
