Umana says Niger Delta ministry has empowered youths, women with cash, equipment worth N5.5 billion

…Trains 415 youths in agriculture

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Okon Umana, Monday disclosed that the ministry has trained and empowered women and youths in the region with cash and equipment worth N5.5 billion.

Umana disclosed this in a statement issued by the ministry’s Director of the press, Deworitshe Patricia.

According to the minister, each of the trainees received cash support ranging from N300,000 to N500,000 and starter packs.

Umana spoke at the graduation ceremony for the latest batch of trainees in various areas of agriculture and fashion designing at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom for 415 non-militant youths drawn from across the Niger Delta region.

He said the youths received training in fashion designing, horticulture, poultry, fishing and their respective value chain.

Represented at the event by the Director, of Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) of the Ministry, Mr Alfred Abah, Umana said materials delivered to the trainees included tractors, tricycles, sewing, grinding and hair-dressing machines.

“Among the trainees were 3,864 non-militant youths and women who were trained in agriculture and its value chain, while 224 motorized tillers were delivered to the farmers.”

Umana said the government would continue to provide the necessary support and direction to non-militant youths in different agriculture programmes and other life skills to create wealth and fight food insecurity in the region and the country at large.

He said, youth and women empowerment has been a key focus of the ministry and its parastatal, explaining that, the programme, which is hosted by the Economic and Empowerment Department of the Ministry, has trained thousands of people from the Niger Delta region and helped them to start their own small scale businesses since 2013.

He further explained that changes in the economy demanded more support for farming and food production, observing that for the life skills given to the trainees to have practical meaning, they must be given material support to set up businesses and put those skills to use.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, represented by Dr Mildred Ekot, said the training was of utmost importance given the preeminent place of agriculture in human life.

The Director of, the Economic Empowerment Department, Mr Philip Ndiomu emphasized the importance of human capacity development in nation-building and expressed the appreciation of the Ministry for the government’s commitment to continuous training and support for capacity building.