December 06, (THEWILL) – The Bayelsa State Government has charged youths across the Niger Delta states to leverage on skills acquired, to eke out a meaningful living.
The state Governor, Senator Douye Diri, gave the charge on Tuesday, in Yenagoa, the state capital, at the Youth session of the 2023 edition of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) annual Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) programme.
Governor Diri, represented by the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Dr Bralate Daniel Igala, noted that even though conventional education is needed in most cases to enable job seekers to get better placements in organisations, skill acquisition is inevitable in the contemporary world.
He tasked the youths not to relent in self-development, noting that as participants in a fora organised for their development, youths must not just be listeners and participants, but should seize those opportunities to make judicious use of their potentials.
“Over the years, Youths have participated in several empowerment and vocational training programmes, but it seems many aren’t taking such opportunities seriously.
“As youths, you must endeavour to make maximum use of knowledge and skills acquired to develop yourself and become a responsible, productive citizen.
“I charge you not only to be listeners and participants in the lectures and training, the NCDMB and others would be giving you today as part of their 2023 PNC programme, but to strive to derive the greatest benefit from it”, Governor Diri said.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, called on youths to take advantage of the various empowerment and employment opportunities made available by the board.
Represented by the General Manager, Corporate Communication and Zonal Coordination of the NCDMB, Mrs Angela Okoro, Wabote stated that the rationale behind the forum was to inform youths about the activities of the board, noting that the annual programme enables participants to benefit from various opportunities provided in the oil and gas sector.
He called on participants to register on the NCDMB’s NOGIC JQS portal to be qualified for training, contracts and other available opportunities.
In her presentation on the prospects of the ongoing NLNG Train-7 project, the Coordination Lead of the Project, Dr (Mrs) Rachael Tamunoso Ibibam, said there were immense opportunities in the project.
She averred that the Train-7 Project comes with new development opportunities that will generate no fewer than 12,000 jobs and increase Nigeria’s revenue earnings, as well as provide sufficient LPGs for the local Nigerian market, noting also that the project is 54% completed.
“I want to commend the NCDMB for promoting and encouraging Nigerian businesses. I would like to call on you participating youths in this forum to register with the NCDMB as vendors to be qualified to execute contracts in the Train-7 project”, she said.
Meanwhile, delivering a paper on conflict management skills at the programme, a Resource Person, Dr Patterson Ogon, called for collaborative efforts amongst individuals, to resolve conflict at home and in the workplace.
He harped that while there were individual behavioural differences, some of the mechanisms to resolve conflicts include giving attention to the feelings of others in the cause of interaction and one’s dealings, the control of emotions and reduction of stress levels, among others.
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