By Stephen Ojo
The Managing Director of the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission ( N-HYPPADEC) Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa has expressed the determination of the commission to empower youths through the creation job opportunities and skills acquisition programmes as part of efforts to eradicate the widespread unemployment and pervasive poverty ravaging the power producing areas of the country.
The Managing Director stated this at the weekend during the presentation of starter packs to 1500 graduands from Niger state who are beneficiaries of the commission’s training programme tagged, “Youths Transformation Programme ( YTP) in Minna.
He said, ” this is an annual youths empowerment and job creation initiative by the Commission. The Programme was conceived against the backdrop of the widespread unemployment and pervasive poverty adversely affecting youths in the power-producing areas of the country”, adding that Floods have been recurrent in these areas due to decades of operations of the hydroelectric dams, these disasters had render youths populations poor and vulnerable,
He commnded the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago for being a steadfast partner to the commission, adding that “your support has been invaluable in the implementation of programmes in Niger State and in the N-HYPPADEC member states “.
According to him, the commission had trained over 5,000 youths across six states of the Federation, with 1,500 youths in Niger, 500 in Benue, 1011 in Kebbi, 650 in Kogi, 620 in Kwara and 320 in Plateau States.
He explained that the variation in number across different states was not accidental,but a reflection of the uneven number of riverine communities in which the Commission operates across different member states.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger state said his government would soon commence the training of 100,000 youths across the state, urging them to also key into the government empowerment initiatives to improve their living standard.
Bago commended N-HYPPADEC for its good works across all the member states and advised the beneficiaries not to sell the equipment donated to them.