May 5, 2021

The Delta Government says about 800 girls will benefit from its 2021 Cycle of Youths Empowerment programme in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, and his Youth Development counterpart, Mr. Ifeanyi Egwunyenga, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on some of the decisions reached at the State Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday in Asaba.

According to Aniagwu, the government gave the approval to kickstart the 2021 cycles, as part of its efforts to take the youths, particularly the girl child, out of the streets, engage them and make them entrepreneurs and employers of labour.

He said that various other empowerment programmes were approved by the council in line with government’s promise to empower the youths and to make them wealth creators through its various empowerment organs, policies and programmes.

The information commissioner said that government has also approved about N1.4 billion for the various youth empowerment programmes in the 2021 cycle.

He said that in line with the state government SMART/Stronger Delta agenda, the aim is to sustain the scheme beyond the present administration.

According to Aniagwu, the training and empowerment programmes are the ways to go if the state and the nation’s battered economy must be healed.

“Government is currently building nine technical colleges out of the 19 technical colleges it promised plus the exiting six colleges as it targets one college for each of the 25 local government areas of the state.

“Government on Tuesday approved the commencement of a new cycle for the Rural Youths Skill Acquisition (RYSA) and the Girls Entrepreneurship and Skills Training (GEST) programmes.

“No fewer than 900 girls are expected to be empowered under the project GEST while 810 youths are being targeted under the RYSA programme.

“Today’s approvals touched on human capital development as well as development of infrastructure and other issues that affect the lives of the people of the state.

The commissioner for information said that the council also approved the construction of four roads, two each in Asaba, Oshimili South and Okpanam, Oshimili North LGAs all in a bid to ending flooding within the state capital.

He said that the four road projects would be undertaking by the Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency.

“Government approved some roads for the Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency, namely the Mama Mbanugo and other adjoining streets by the Capital Territory, Odilison Junior Crescent, Oligidi layout along Ibusa Road, Asaba and Phase 1 of Jeremiah Eboh, Nwofor and adjoining streets in Oshimili North and Oshimili South,” he stated.

Aniagwu disclosed that the state government also approved the appointment of two traditional rulers, HRM Isaiah Isike, Edekere I, Odiologbo of Olomoro Kingdom in Isoko South Local Government Area, and HRH Clement Ejiofor as the traditional ruler of Ukala Kingdom in Oshimili North Local Government Area.

On his part, the Commissioner for Youth Development, Egwunyenga, said that council approval for the RYSA and GEST was to further deepen the state government’s job creation programme with the aim of bringing it closer to the people.

He said that beneficiaries were drawn from the 270 federal wards in the state, adding that proficiency test is required to enlist beneficiaries of the scheme.
He projected that the programme will, in the next 10 years, yield great benefits to the beneficiaries and to the state in terms of wealth creation.

“#ENDSARS has taught the Nigerian governments that youths empowerment programmes, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the drivers of the economy. In Delta, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has already started this since 2015 and has scaled it up since then.
“More importantly in the RYSA Programme, the community business school, the mindset and value reorientation are to ensure that the starter packs are put to productive use.

“The Governor’s drive is tied to sustainability of the job creation programmes and we have had a collaborative effort with all MDAs on training processes and provision of starter packs.

“Very soon the RYSA and the GEST programmes will roll out for another cycle,” Egwunyenga said. (NAN).