Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, on Monday flagged off a four-month skills development programme in Bende, Abia State, describing it as a deliberate efforts to equip youths with lasting knowledge and globally recognized certificates.
Captioned “An Artisan Training on Building Projects” sponsored by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and facilitated by Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL) with the support of the Office of the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, the exercise selected 150 trainees across Abia State.
Bende Local Government Area however secured the highest number of slots of 130 youths drawn from each of the 13 Political Wards, following the intervention of the Deputy Speaker’s Office.
Abia and Enugu are the two states picked from the South East for the pilot phase of the intervention, and the first to commence in the current cohort.
The programme will run from August to November 2026, with two months of theory already underway and two months of practical training to follow.
Speaking at the opening in Bende, the Deputy Speaker and member representing the Federal Constituency commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the African Development Bank and the Family Home Funds Limited for the initiative, and for driving a youth-focused agenda.
He said: “Let me thank my leader in politics, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a President who is not just saying he loves the youths in words, but doing that through action. This initiative won’t be possible without the help of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is the one who has energised Family Home to begin to scout for youths who will be equipped for the future.”
Kalu noted that Nigeria’s youthful population is its greatest asset ahead of 2050, when the country is projected to be among the most populous in the world.
The Deputy Speaker urged the trainees to remain dedicated, warning that the temptation to drop out would come but should be resisted.
He disclosed that certificates that would be issued at the end of the training would be valid nationally and internationally, revealing that job placements have been arranged for qualifying participants in the first phase.
The Deputy Speaker called on participants to see themselves as the foundation for rebuilding Bende, Abia, and Nigeria.
“The only way you are going to pay Mr. President, the African Development Bank back, Family Home and the Office of the Deputy Speaker back is by showing dedication. Finish the training. What is waiting for you at the end is big.
“The youths are the energy of the nation. The more we equip them, the better we build the nation. If we abandon them, we abandon our future. If we hold their hands, we prepare a nation that generations unborn will be proud of. That is why I am happy to be here, see you all bright and ready to build the nation.
“We decided to go this route because we are looking for what we can give you, that somebody cannot take away from you because it will go with you everywhere you go. The knowledge you acquire from here will germinate into a very big tree that will provide shelter for a whole lot of people.
“I am counting on you, as we want to rebuild Bende, rebuild Abia, rebuild the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I am counting on you. Segment by segment, phase by phase, we will train a whole lot of youths, for them to be able to fend for themselves and fend for their loved ones,” he said.
Also speaking, the representative of Family Home Funds Limited, Builder Ugwueri John, said the programme aligns with the Federal Government’s effort to reduce dependence on white-collar jobs by building skills that drive the economy.
He expressed gratitude to the the Deputy Speaker for bringing the training to Bende.
He said “Thank you for bringing this training to Bende. This training will last for four months, starting from this August to November. It is an intervention programme, keying into the mantra of this present government to equip our unemployed youths with skills.
“It is a skill that drives economy of this nation and our teaming unemployed youths rely on white collar jobs or government jobs. So, the government of the day saw the need to engage our youths in skill development and this one is one of them.
“Out of the 150 trainees selected for the training, Bende has the highest number courtesy of the Deputy Speaker.
“For these four months, we are going to dedicate them to the theoretical aspect of the training for 2 months which we have already started and practical training for another two months. I want to thank the Deputy Speaker for bringing this training to Bende.”
Speaking on behalf of the cohort, Kalu Chinedu Peter from Amogwu village in Bende LGA, appreciated President Tinubu and the Deputy Speaker for bringing the programme to Bende.
“I am one of the trainees. On behalf of my fellow students, we are thanking His Excellency for bringing this particular programme to Bende town. We pray that he will continue to be on that seat till 2031, and we pray that our President, Senator Bola Tinubu Ahmed will continue till 2031. Enemies will never see them,” he said.
Another trainee, Dabara Samuel Fumilayo from Item B in Bende expressed appreciation to the Deputy Speaker for the programme, saying it will impact them positively.
“I want to appreciate His Excellency for his love and care for the youths. Personally, I am keen to be a full partaker of this project because we are not really talking about today, we are talking about our future, not only for us, for the upcoming ones. Whatever we learn here will not only benefit people of Item, Abia and the whole Nigeria, but the world,” she said.
Organizers of the training said it will run in phases to accommodate a lot of interested youths.
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