Posted by The Port Harcourt Telegraph on
Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili says the planned establishment of an Industrial Park in the state is aimed at redirecting the focus of youths towards skills acquisition and reduce the level of unemployment.
Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili says the planned establishment of an Industrial Park in the state is aimed at redirecting the focus of youths towards skills acquisition and reduce the level of unemployment.
Governor Odili stated this on Tuesday when the International Director, Shell Live WIRE, UK led by Mr. Sandy Ogilvie, currently on a two week visit to Nigeria, paid him a courtesy call at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Dr Odili described the visit, coming at a time when the State Government was grappling with the problem of unemployment, especially among young people, as timely and expressed delight that the organisation was collaborating with Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC which according to him, has also indicated interest in participating in the State Government's Industrial Park Programme.
The Governor assured Shell Live WIRE, UK of the readiness of the state government to partner with them and urged the organisation to link its local partners with appropriate government functionaries with a view to identifying areas of possible cooperation.
Dr Odili said the State Government was looking forward to a collaborative relationship that could deliver government's objective of building the capacity of youths through a programme of self-employment and reduce unemployment in the Niger Delta area within the next few years.
"We believe that partnering with you would help us facilitate the process of achieving this objective, Dr Odili asserted, and thanked the group for the visit".
Earlier, the International Director of Shell Live WIRE, UK, Mr. Sandy Ogilvie said, he is in Nigeria on the invitation of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) for a two week fact-finding mission for youth enterprise in the Niger Delta.
Mr. Ogilvie, disclosed that the programme has a number of processes that would encourage youths to develop ideas for starting business of their own, as the live-wire project would be successful in partnership with the state government.
He expressed delight that the Live WIRE UK, would be working in collaboration with SPDC for youth empowerment in the Niger Delta, having been successful in 24 other countries in the world, adding that there are young people who have good ideas and the programme would be of immense help to assist them develop the idea to fruition.
The Live-WIRE was launched in Nigeria in March 27, 2003 to raise business awareness amongst youths and assist them discover and develop business ideas through business planning and management guidelines and skills.