Executive Chairman of Aniocha North Local Government, Delta State, Hon. Kevin Okwechime, in his determination to enhance the capacity of Youths in the Local Government area with needed skills, has requested the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, well-meaning organizations and individuals, to partner with his administration in the area of equipping the Aniocha North Skills Acquisition Centre with the relevant equipment.
Hon Okwechime said arrangements are in top gear by his administration, to bring in some of the equipment for the centre, saying that because of limited resources, the local Government for now, cannot fully equip the centre, hence the appeal.
Okwechime spoke on Tuesday, September 13, 2023, while playing host to officials of the National Directorate of Employment, NDE led by the DG, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, during a courtesy visit on the Chairman in his office, at Issele-Uku.
He said such partnership would go a long way in equipping the Centre with the needed Machines to enable optimal operations and training of the teeming Youths of the Local Government area in various Skills.
Describing the Skills Acquisitions centre as a legacy project of his administration, Okwechime said it was established to help the Local Government inculcate needed Skills to the people, adding that the vision is to eradicate youth unemployment and poverty in the council area, in line with the MORE agenda of the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.
The Council Chairman, appreciated the NDE for the choice of Aniocha North for their pilot program on Organic Agriculture and Small Stock Goat production in Delta State and further said the local Government collaborative partnership with the NDE, in the use of the center for the training, has added value to the Skills Acquisitions Centre which he revealed, will be officially commissioned soon, along with other people oriented projects executed by his administration.
Earlier, the Director General, National Directorate of Employment, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, represented by the Director, Rural Employment Promotion Department, Mr. Edem Duke, appreciated the Council Chairman for his developmental stride and said they were in the Local Government area on a national assignment, geared towards training the People of the State in Organic Agriculture and Small Stock Goat production.
Duke commended the Local Government for their hospitality and said they were happy finding a home in Aniocha North Skills Acquisitions Centre, which he affirmed, is comfortable and convenient for them to do programs of the Directorate that are geared towards Skills Acquisition and eradication of unemployment.
Also expanding on their engagement in Aniocha North Local Government area, the Director, South South Zone of the Directorate, Mr. Sunday Akpakasa revealed that the NDE, having been in Issele-Uku for the past four days, has concluded a Three-day program on Small Stock Goat production where a good number of unemployed youths have been trained using the revolving modern method.
He said having inculcated the requisite knowledge and Skills on the participants on how to raise and rear goats, the NDE has the responsibility of empowering them, but that because of the large number of the participants for the program, the agency alone would not be able to establish all of them, hence the partnership with Aniocha North Local Government and other stakeholders.
“If they are empowered using the revolving modern method, you will not require them to return back the Money. We expect that when the goats deliver, the State Coordinator will pick the young ones and give to another set of people to rear. That is why it is called revolving modern method,” Mr Akpakasa explained.
While commending the fertile nature of the land in Aniocha North Local Government area, Akpakasa further explained the essence of the training in Organic Agriculture and said it was geared towards making every one a farmer whereby one could grow profitable crops such as yam, cassava, fruits and vegetables in ones backyard.
He said the program entails teaching the participants agricultural practices that would enable them do things by themselves at any given point in time with little resources and affirmed it was the Federal Government efforts in eradicating unemployment and poverty as well as creation of wealth among the Youths in Nigeria.
Participants at the 3-day training on Small Stock Goat production were later presented with their certificates of participation and a three-day training of One Hundred participants on Organic Agriculture was immediately flagged off by the representative of the NDE Director General at the Aniocha North Skills Acquisition Centre, Issele-Uku.
