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Twelve youths from Oginigba community in Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers State, recently became proud beneficiaries of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) sponsored training on maritime operations and specialization
NBC’s Legal, Public Affairs and Communications director, Mrs. Sade Morgan, delivering an address at their graduation ceremony in Port Harcourt on Thursday February 16, 2017, said the maritime skills acquisition project, which included certification from a recognized maritime academy in the country, is designed to equip youths in Oginigba community with skills sets required to secure employment in the maritime industry.
“This will enable them compete favorably with their counterparts, locally, regionally and globally and connect them with opportunities in the Nigerian and international maritime industry,” she said.
She said NBC understands the fact that “the future will be shaped by today’s young people,” hence its special attention to supporting young persons to realize their full potential.
NBC, Morgan said, recognizes that any investment made on the youths is an investment in the future of the country, and has in this regard impacted on over 30,000 youths in the country through various youth empowerment programmes in the past five years.
Also, in the last five years, she said, NBC has made steady investments at improving the socio-economic well-being of youths in Oginigba community. These include the donation of computers and printer in 2012, training of 3 Oginigba youths in industrial welding and fabrication in 2012, sponsoring a youth empowerment workshop for over 304 Oginigba youths and starting 25 of them off with micro businesses, among a host of other initiatives.
Morgan said that NBC is committed to partnering with the government and communities towards eradicating “extreme poverty and hunger,” as she called on the twelve beneficiaries to make the best out of the opportunity given them and inspire other youths of the community to participate in initiatives that enable them develop themselves.
She pointed out that other NBC programmes for its communities and stakeholders include the NBC Back to School Initiative, Lady Mechanic Initiative, NBC Glass Bottle Competition among others.
NBC’s Regional Public Affairs Manager (East & Central), Ekuma Eze, highlighted the technical details that led to the setting up of the Maritime Skills Acquisition Project, urging the beneficiaries to put what they had learnt to good use.
Paramount ruler/Nyenweli of Oginigba community, HRH/Eze Gershom Odum, lauded NBC for impacting positively on the lives of members of the community, while urging the company to do more, especially in the area of employment.
Two of the twelve beneficiaries, Echeonwu Juliet Adanne and Stephen Amadi, described the training as a dream come true. They thanked NBC for giving them the opportunity to become mariners that can compete favorably with their peers all over the world.
