The Asaba Home-Diaspora Development Initiative (AHDDI), a Non-Governmental Organisation, has urged youths in Delta to embrace skills acquisition and shun cultism, as well as criminality. 

The group made the call at the fifth exhibition and graduation ceremony of 40 Asaba youths from a skills acquisition programme it organised, on Friday in Asaba.

The youths were trained in over 15 skills, which included Computer and Mobile Phone Repairs, Solar PV Installations, Cane Furniture Production, Acting and Screen Writing; Baking and Decorating, Computer Graphics, Makeup and Gele, Fashion Designing, Hairdressing as well as Shoes and Bags Production.

Chief Ngozi Okotcha, an indigene, and major sponsor of the batch of skill acquisition trainees, said that the training would help reposition the youths and make them gainfully employed.

Okotcha, represented by Chief Emefiena Ofili, said that partnering with AHDDI would make Asaba an outstanding viral society, starting from its immediate community, Umugbeabi Village.

He advised the youths to key into the free programmes to acquire the requisite skills to become self-employed and employers of labour.

Okotcha called on other well meaning Asaba indigenes, both at home and abroad, to help drive the initiative.

"At the end of the training, successful business and employment opportunities will be opened to the less-privileged youths, young adults and those who cannot afford such training.

“I employed the services of AHDDI, because it remains the best organisation to assist us in fulfilling these goals.

“The overall effect is that the pool of job seekers is reduced, the youths and young adults are effectively empowered economically, by sustaining their source of livelihood and eventually alleviating poverty,” he said.

Okotcha urged the graduands to be good, honest, truthful and loyal in their endeavours, so as to be good ambassadors of the state.

The guest lecturer, Dr Uche Gwam-Odogwu, in his presentation entitled, ” Purposeful and inclusive vocational training for Asaba youths”, said that such training would empower them to become employable and employers of labour.

Gwam-Odogwu described labour as the greatest asset of all factors of production.

“The crime rate in Asaba is on the rise because most youths are jobless and not employable, but with the skills acquisition, they will become self- employed, employers of labour and criminality will reduce.

"A skilled mind is a developed nation; this skill acquisition should be all inclusive. I urge all Asaba indigenes to support the programme, to enable the state salvage the youths and make them wealth creators “, the lecturer said.

On her part, Ms Daphne Arafena, AHDDI President and Founder, said that the initiative began in 2017, though the first trainees graduated in 2018.

Arafena said that the training was sponsored by Asaba indigenes at home and abroad, adding that it was offered free to the beneficiaries.

"The era of acquiring a degree without a skill is gone, this is why many of the youths today have become cultists and are involved in various crimes.

“Today, we are graduating our trainees, who started four months ago, and as you can see they have exhibited various works based on the skills they acquired from the centre.

"In today’s batch, Ogbuefi Ngozi Okotcha single handedly sponsored 19 trainees, while Asaba Development Association and others sponsored the rest.

Some of the graduands lauded the sponsors and promised to put the skills they had acquired into use, while calling on other youths to take advantage of the programme.

The high point of the occasion was the exhibition of works, presentation of certificates and awards to the beneficiaries.