YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVATES PARTNERSHIP WITH FEDERAL MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT IN ANAMBRA STATE
By Ifeoma Aniagbado :
Today marks a significant milestone in the quest to transform the lives of youths positively as the Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Patrick Agha Mba, commenced the activation of a crucial partnership arrangement in upskilling the youths with a working visit to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Anambra State.
The visit stems from a Memorandum of Agreement earlier reached on 24th May 2023 between the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, under former Honorable Minister, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, and the Anambra State Government under the leadership of Executive Governor Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo.
This agreement was geared toward the implementation of the Skills Upgrading and Vocational Training (SUVT) Program, in order to intensify efforts on human capital development within Anambra State.
In his remarks, Commissioner Patrick Agha Mba said that the visit was in furtherance of an earlier agreement and to finalize arrangements for the activation of a Vocational Skill Training Centre , Alor in Idemili South and Ifitedunu in Dunukofia LGAs of Anambra State.
He said that these centres are poised to serve as hubs for the next batch of the 1 Youth 2 Skills Solution, which is targeting the training of over 10,000 youths across 55 vocational skills areas of their choice.
The Commissioner emphasized the timely nature of the visit, especially now that the preparation for the upcoming training is in top gear.
He explained that 5,000 youths successfully graduated from the first phase of 1 Youth 2 Skills and got empowered financially for business start-ups/expansion with a total sum of ₦2 billion, the first of its kind in Nigeria.
The Commissioner while highlighting the strides of the Anambra State Government in youth and all aspects of human capital development, commended the Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo for his great vision and initiatives like the Anambra Business Summit, Solution Innovation District (SID), and Solution Sports, which had contributed significantly to addressing unemployment challenges in the state.
He emphasized the importance of these programs in societal harmony and development, as the youths constitute about 65% of the state’s population.
Mr. Agha Mba called for continuous collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Employment through the National Labour and Employment in order to open up doors of opportunities for the youths of Anambra State.
He used the medium to inform the State Controller that the Ministry of Youth Development Anambra State has over 200,000 registered unemployed youth in its Data Bank and expressed the readiness of the Ministry to provide such information to FMLE for policy and program implementation.
Responding, the State Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) Anambra State, Mrs. B. U. Oji-Ogbuehi, expressed her delight at the commissioner’s visit, saying that it was the first of its kind since her years in service.
The Controller, while promising that FMLE will offer all that is required to ensure that the youths of the state are effectively developed, commended Gov. Soludo’s administration for being proactive with the kind of his workforce and approach to governance.
The meeting was attended by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth Development, Mrs. Chito Osili, Executive Assistant to Governor on Youth Development, Mr. Chibuzor Udeh, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Admin) FMLE Awka, Ndubuisi Nwamaka, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Admin) FMLE, Awka, Ifeoma Ndibe, and the Media Team of the Ministry of Youth Development.
*Ifeoma is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
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