By CrossRiverWatch Admin
The Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operations, YESSO says it will explore areas of strategic partnership with the Presidential Amnesty Program, particularly in the areas of vocational training and skills acquisition for youths of the Niger Delta region.
The National Programs Manager of YESSO, Comrade Richard Romanus, stated this when he led a delegation to visit the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Program, retired Major General Barry Ndiomu, at his office in Abuja.
The visit according to the YESSO Programs Manager was informed by the need to partner with relevant institutions to drive the YESSO 2.0 core mandate, which is focused on youth Empowerment.
He hinted that YESSO 2.0 proposes to build vocational and skills acquisition hubs across the six geopolitical zones, hence the need for collaboration with the Presidential Amnesty Program to reduce the tension in the region caused by youth unemployment.
According to him, this is in line with the effort of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu in supporting President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda of empowering young people across the country.
Responding, the Amnesty boss, retired Major General Barry Ndiomu, congratulated Mr. Romanus on his new appointment and described the YESSO program as a strategic partner in youth empowerment.
General Ndiomu said henceforth there have to be deliberate efforts to fix the Niger Delta, considering the importance of the region in the economy of Nigeria.
He said the Presidential Amnesty program has six vocational training centers at different stages of completion across the Niger Delta region. According to him, serious attention would be given to oil and gas skills, agriculture, energy-related vocational skills, maritime skills, and many others.
While acknowledging the need for the partnership, Major General Ndiomu said that skill acquisition and job creation were necessary for the development of the region and would go a long way to ease unemployment-related tension.
