Food security, MSME panacea to N’ Delta crisis – FG

The Federal Government of Nigeria, has said that for the Niger Delta region to embrace true development, that the people should focus on the development of micro, small medium scale business enterprises that will drive the economy of the people.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani gave this charge during the graduation ceremony of women and youths from the Niger Delta region, who were trained by the Ministry on commercial snail farming, entrepreneurship and Information, Communication Technology (ICT), while urging them  to use the knowledge and skills gathered from the training to contribute to the food security and the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), in the region.

The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo, said that the  graduation ceremony, training and empowerment programme of about 64 women and youths from the Niger Delta region, is a one stop shot to redefine the talents of thousands of the Niger Delta indegens who was earlier misled by the oil explorations.

According to him, “This is one of the initiatives of PresidentMuhammadu Buhari’s administration to diversify the economy, increase food security and generate employment for women and youths, in the Niger Delta region”, he stressed.

Usani disclosed that the training and empowerment package was put together to empower the people among other benefits to enable the trainees to be self-employed engage others, manage businesses for effective enterprise development and be able to generate income for their families.

In his remarks, Rector of Ibadan polytechnic, Prof. Olatunde Fawole commended the Federal Government for the right step taken to train and empower Niger Delta youths and women, saying that his institution would continue to welcome such training programme.

Prof Fawole urged the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to continue to enroll more youths in training of this nature, which he said was capable of arresting cases of youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region.

The training consultant, Dr. Benjamin Onoriode Irikefe, said: “The graduands have all been well trained to world class standards in the vocations they were schooled in- Information and Communication Technology and Commercial Snail Farming.”

The participants expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the training and empowerment programme, saying they were looking forward to the extension of same to other youths and women in the region.

Highlights of the event included the presentation of training certificates, payment of  a start-up capital of Three Hundred Thousand Naira (N300,000)  and one laptop each, for the trainees, while those who did not collect laptop received the sum of Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N400,000), and other relevant materials that would aid them in setting up.

The attached photograph: Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, represented by the Perm. Sec. in the Ministry, Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo(left), presenting a brand new HP laptop to one of the graduands at the event, while the Director Economic Empowerment in the Ministry, Mr. Akanya Braima Ali (right) supports.