Buhari's govt to empower 2,500 Niger Delta youths

The Presidential Amnesty Programme says it would be empowering 2,500 Niger Delta youths in the areas of industrial fishing and associated seafood production.

The production facility for the training is also to be cited in the Niger Delta as the project is geared towards contributing to an architecture that places emphasis on stability, economic and sustainable development in the region.

The programme is set to take off through a joint venture with a group of local and international partners.

According to a statement by the Amnesty office, a delegation of the federal government is set to depart for Greece and Costa Rica on a facility inspection tour as part of the implementation of the project.

This is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed to establish an industrial fishing and processing company in a joint venture run by a consortium of Greek and Nigerian partners led by the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

Special adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Prof. Charles Dokubo, expressed satisfaction that the project is part of efforts by government to promote diversification of the economy beyond oil.

“The project provides a clear convergence of domestic development and national security objectives while catalysing large volumes of foreign direct investment into the country," Dokubo said.

“This is the first time that a large volume of our ex-agitators will be offloaded to full employment at once. The assurance that they will be EU certified means that they can work anywhere in the world beyond our shores.

“It creates a regional architecture that places emphasis on stability, economic and sustainable development. In the long term, it will position Nigeria to contribute more meaningfully to a market driven blue economy framework for growth and prosperity within the Gulf of Guinea.

“I thank all our partners and promise to ensure that we do everything within our capabilities to make sure that construction takes off by September," he assured.

He notes that the project was designed to acquaint the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) beneficiaries with modern day fishing using trawlers.

At the end of the training, 2,000 of the successful trainees would gain full-time employment and exit from the program thereby reducing the stipend outlay by N1.9 billion per annum.

Recall that the project was formally launched by the President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Friday, May 24, 2019, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.