Okowa Pledges Commitment To Generation Of Youth Entrepreneurs

By ANDREW IKEHI

The Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has said that his administration will continue to ensure that it moves youths in the state from the era of being economically dependent to the era of being not only economically independent, but successful entrepreneurs and employers of labour.
This, which the Governor said is already yielding the desired result, is one of the critical planks of his administration’s accelerated industrialization agenda, aimed at mitigating poverty and reducing the unemployment index of the state.
The Governor, who stated this in Asaba, the State capital during a one-day orientation workshop for 2019/2020 trainees of the state government’s Skill Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) said that over 4,000 youths have so far been trained, equipped and established within the previous circles of the project since its inception in 2015.
Represented by the Chief Job Creation Officer of the State, Chief Eric Eboh at the event, Governor Okowa said that in the 2019/2020 circle of the project, 850 Youths were selected and would commence training at their various centers today, Monday, January 13, 2020.
The Pointer reports that the orientation workshop, which was held in Asaba, the state capital, was also, previously held in Warri and Ughelli respectively.
Addressing the trainees at the workshop, the Governor, while urging them to remain focused and committed to their chosen trades, said that at the end of his tenure as Governor of the state, he would be proud to have left behind a legacy of well motivated, highly inspired, properly skilled and adequately enabled youths that would be self employed business owners.
His words, “Today, it is on record that you are joining the train of prosperity which this administration has packaged since 2015 that has been carrying youths from where they were to where they should be.
“It is the vision of this administration to ensure that youths in the state move from the stage of being dependent to the stage of becoming self employed and employers of labour. So, I urge you to remain committed and focused on what you are being trained for” the Governor advised.
In their various remarks at the event, the State Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Ifeanyi Egwuyenga and the Executive Assistant to the State Governor on Youth Monitoring and Mentoring, Mr. Eddy Mekwuye urged the trainees to justify the State Government’s huge investments on the project by taking their training's seriously.