The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says it has begun training of 600 youths from Nsukka/Igboeze-South Federal Constituency on how to set up soap/detergent-making business and other similar small scale enterprises.
The Managing Director of NPA, Ms Hadiza Usman, disclosed this during the inauguration of empowerment programme in Nsukka on Thursday.
Mr Sam Nwachukwu of the Public Affairs Department represented Usman at the occasion.
She said the training and provision of start-up capital to 600 beneficiaries were part of NPA’s corporate social responsibility.
“The empowerment is meant to assist the youth so that they will earn a living as well as assist their siblings and parents.
“If a youth has something doing, it will reduce the chances of him or her engaging in crime.
“NPA has done same empowerment as part of its corporate social responsibility in some states of the country as a way of reducing unemployment as well as helping youths to acquire skills,” she said.
The managing director said NPA would monitor the activities of the beneficiaries and would give more financial support to diligent among them.
“This start-up capital is given to beneficiaries to enable the NPA know those who are serious to start business as well as those who will eat up their own.
“This money given to them is not refundable as is not loan but a grant to help them start business.
“I advise them to make judicious use of the money to enable the authority give them more money to increase their business.”
Usman commended Dr Pat Asadu, the House of Representatives member (PDP- Nsukka /Igboeze-South) and the House Committee Chairman on Ports, Harbour and Waterways, for the manner his committee discharged its duties.
In his remarks, Asadu thanked NPA for empowering 600 youths in his constituency and for providing some solar street light panels in the wards within his constituency.
The legislator urged youths in the area to make good use of the opportunity, adding that some of them would become successful business men and women in future due to the empowerment.
“Some successful business men and women in the world started like this but because of their determination and hard work, they are today celebrated.
“I attracted this empowerment to help youths in my constituency, because I know the main challenge facing the youth is unemployment,”Asadu said.
Also speaking, Mr Edward Isiwu, who is the consultant for the empowerment programme, said the beneficiaries were selected from all wards that made up the constituency.
“My promise to youths who did not benefit from this current NPA empowerment is that, they will benefit in less than one month when I will do my constituency empowerment,” he promised.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Christian Eze, commended NPA for the empowerment and Asadu who attracted it to the constituency.
“Five youths from my association are here for this empowerment, Asadu has been good to us, whenever he comes home, and he assists us through our associations or individually in solving our various problems.
“We promise to ensure that we invest whatever money given to us for this empowerment as required.
“Our prayer is that, God will grant Asadu his heart desire of going back to House of Representatives so that more people will benefit from him, “he said.
Other beneficiaries expressed gratitude to NPA and Asadu for the empowerment programme which they said would take them off the streets.
