ActionAid Nigeria on Monday distributed starter packs to 1,000 youths who had completed skill acquisition programme under the Migration II Project of the organisation in Edo state.
Speaking during the equipment handover ceremony to the beneficiaries, ActionAid, Country Director, Ene Obi, said “the trainees have been formed into 50 groups of cooperatives.
“Each group will be equipped with starter pack and also received seed grants of N650,000 amounting to N32,500,000 to further support the businesses of the groups”.
Represented by ActionAid Director of Programmes, Hajia Suwaiba Muhammed Dankabo, she said the organisation has so far empowered 2,000 youths in Edo, as the first batch of 1,000 trained youths in various trades have also received same set of equipment.
“The handover today is for the second batch of graduands of the Migration II Project also known as the Dare To Hope Project in Edo State”.
According to her, the Migration II project seeks to create alternatives to irregular migration through socio-economic empowerment and sensitization, as they have discovered that economic reasons are the main push factor for irregular migration.
She said the youths were trained in hairdressing, fish farming, makeup artistry, shoe and bag making, poultry, aluminum fabrication, and bead making.
She said the migration II project was achieved in collaboration with Kairos Youth Empowerment Initiative, Ideal Development and Resource Centre (IDRC), and the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development.
While advising the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the equipment, she assured of monitoring their performance to further support beneficiaries who have demonstrated consistency, passion, and dedication in their chosen trade.
Chris Nehikhare, commissioner for youth and humanitarian affairs, said the state government has a deliberate policy to ensure youths are trained, and that ActionAid is complementing the policy.
He said government has been partnering with the organisation involved in the training of the youths, urging beneficiaries to make judicious use of the training and equipment to become self reliance and employers of labour.
On her part, wife of the Edo state governor, Betsy Obaseki, represented by the wife of the deputy governor Maryann Shaibu, said the Obaseki led- government welcomes development partners in the creation of employment for the youths.
Daily Trust reports that items distributed to the beneficiaries were bead making equipment, aluminum equipment, sewing machines, dryers, baking items, among others.
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