The Federal Government has said that the vision and mission of the National Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission N_HYPPADEC aligned with it’s philosophy of improving the quality of lives of Nigerians.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume stated this at the flag off for the distribution of Start-Up Kits to graduates of N_HYPPADEC Youths Transformation Programme held in Minna, Niger state.
Represented by a Director from his office, Mr Simon Tungu, the SGF appealed to stakeholders to support the laudable course of N_HYPPADEC in its quest towards transforming and changing the narrative of the young population for economic growth and prosperity, so that together they drive positive change, review their collective goals and promote social development in Nigeria.
Senator George Akume maintained that Nigeria like most developing countries is faced with myriad of challenges such as youth and graduates unemployment, high rate of poverty, conflict and diseases, insecurity, over dependence on foreign goods low economic growth, development and urbanization which the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is working hard to remedy.
In his remarks Niger state Governor Mohammad Umar Bago, thanked the N_HYPPADEC for the collaboration they have enjoyed as a state such as relocation of communities threatened by flood, and provision of portable drinking water in New Bussa, Bida, Minna, Kuta, and Gusoro among others and reminding the youths and benefitiaries that great people are not made easily, they are made from solid rocks.
Mohammed Umar Bago advised the youths not to sell their Starter Packs, he also wants them, especially those from agro line, to take advantage of the Etsu farm, Bago farm and Niger Foods to enhace their business while appealing to wealthy individuals in Niger state to support the youths towards transition from redundancy to utility.
According to him as government they are ambitious of equipping one hundred thousand youths in Niger state with skills in agriculture, vocational training, computer science, barbing and other vocational skills, saying that they have a lot of partners such as UNDP and the rest, that are willing to collaborate with them and provide training and starter packs for beneficiaries.
Managing Director N-HYPADDEC Alh Abubalar Sadik Yelwa said they have trained five thousand youths across six N-HYPADDEC states where over one thousand five hundred youths in Niger, five hundred in Benue, one thousand and eleven in Kebbi, six hundred and fifty in Kogi, six hundred and twenty in Kwara and three hundred in Plateau states stressing that the variation of numbers across different states is a reflection of uneven number of riverine communities.
Alh Abubakar Sadik Yelwa enumerated some of the vocations and trade to include tailoring, house painting, photography, plumbing, bricklaying and catering among others and attributed the succeses recorded by the commission to the support and cooperation of federal government, Niger state and stakeholders while calling for more to succeed.
The Estu Nupe and Chairman Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers Alh Yahaya Abubakar who prayed for the success of Governor Umar Bago and N_HYPPADEC said, he is in support of any initiative targeted at enhancing the welfare of Nigerlites.