The National Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) has stated that it has spent about N255 million to train 800 youths in Kwara State across 32 trade areas.
Speaking during a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on the progress of the Youth Transformation Programme (YTP) of the commission in Ilorin on Thursday, the commission’s managing director, Abubakar Yelwa, said the programme was aimed at transforming the lives of young people in the state by equipping them with skills and resources to become self-reliant and productive members of society.
Represented by the Director of the Directorate of Community and Rural Development, Dr. Mahmood Umar, Yelwa said that the meeting was aimed at providing updates and raising awareness on the progress of the programme.
He addressed rumours regarding the diversion of starter packs meant for beneficiaries, clarifying that the Commission is making all necessary arrangements for the graduation ceremony and distribution of starter packs, which, he said, would be conducted by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu in August in batches.
Yelwa also revealed that the Commission has paid for the registration of business names for the beneficiaries, preparing them to become employers of labour.
“We are hopeful that, based on our agreement with contractors, we will be able to deliver these items to the beneficiaries in time for the flag-off,” he said.
Also, Yelwa said that measures had been implemented to prevent the sale of the starter packs by branding them as “not for sale.”.
Beneficiaries are required to fill out guarantor forms to ensure compliance, he said, adding that a monitoring committee has been established to oversee the beneficiaries after graduation.
Meanwhile, the HYPPADEC boss also called for the enactment of a law that will criminalise the non-wearing of life jackets by boat passengers across the country.
Yelwa implored the leadership of the Houses of Assembly in its catchment areas to immediately commence the process of enacting the law with a view to reducing death rates from boat mishaps in riverine communities across the country.
Yelwa said that enactment of the law is necessary due to the increasing number of deaths related to boat mishaps in some parts of the country, recalling how a riverine community lost 130 people to a single boat mishap.
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