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By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) says it has assisted the 2022 graduates of its Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) to secure additional international qualifications and certifications so as to place them on a very high standing.
NLNG’s general manager, External Affairs and Sustainable Development, Andy Odeh, made this known Monday in Port Harcourt at the graduation ceremony of the 2021 and 2022 batch of the scheme, described as one of the company’s major human capital development programmes for youths.
Odeh said that the 2022 graduates of photography and video production have become registered members of the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria; the Information and Communication Technology graduates acquired worldwide certified entry level Information Technology Specialists, while the Catering and Hotel Management graduates have become holders of City and Guild.
He said; “For me it is also a privilege to celebrate all 210 graduates of Youths Empowerment Scheme under one roof. This is the first time we are combining graduation ceremony for two sets of YES graduates and we are happy that some of the graduates have indeed began practicing their skills while some have even become employers of labour.
“The Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) is one of NLNG’s major human capital development programmes for development of skills of youths and equipping them to move from job seekers to job creators. It was indeed designed to make the youths producers, not the consumers”.
He explained that Nigeria LNG in conceptualizing the programme, wanted to create a crème of highly skilled and equipped young men and women who would support the development of not just Port Harcourt, but our host communities and the rest of Nigeria, with requisite skills in crafts like automotive repairs, advanced welding, photography and video production, farm management, fashion designing and cosmetology and Information and Communication Technology.
“We are indeed grateful for our various training centres for bringing out the best, theoretically and technically in the trainees. We have further equipped all the graduates with starter packs to kick off their trade and some are doing remarkably well already.
“To help ease the process of business registration, we formed partnership with Corporate Affairs Commission. We also formed partnership with Stanbic IBTC to provide seamless payments of allowances as well as give our graduates access to SME loans. This is a novel practice which we believe will create great values for the graduates.
“Nigeria LNG is confident that the resource of these youths can further be harnessed. This is why we have firmed up arrangement to inaugurate a YES Alumni Forum. This will be an umbrella of all YES graduates and will enable networking opportunities and capacity building that will be profitable to the beneficiaries. It will further be source of resourceful information.
“We are happy that you have acquired life skills that will make you stand firm on your feet, become self-reliant and also help employ more people. Please keep the flag flying,” he said.
Odeh expressed belief that “the fruit of YES, which we are reaping today, will further multiply like the mustard seed. I also call on all the graduating students today to take up the challenge of ensuring that they are not only self-sufficient but are able to employ at least one person before the end of next year”.
In his speech at the occasion, the director of Employment, Rivers State Ministry of Economic Empowerment and Employment Generation, Napoleon Akpe, commended the NLNG for the feat and urged them to extend the scheme to other areas.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Akpe said they should count themselves lucky to have benefited from the training and warned them against selling their starter packs.
He said, “We discovered in the state there are no elevator and Automated Teller Machines technicians. We thank the NLNG for empowering our youths, but we want them to look at these areas that are lacking in the state.
“For our youths, ensure that you resist every temptation to sell the starter packs given to you. Not even your parents should convince you to sell, because the NLNG has invested so much to give you this training. It is in your interest, it will benefit you and help check crime in the state,” he said.
