The National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd., has reiterated its commitment to empowering youths in its host community with vocational skills to enable them to contribute to national development.
Johnson Awoyomi, managing director, NETCO made the pledge on Friday at the graduation ceremony of 13 youths from Iru Community, Iru -Victoria Island Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
The ‘Batch B Netcropreneur’ beneficiaries were trained for three months at the Oluponna Fish Farming and Resource Foundation (OFFER) Centre, Iwo, in Osun State.
The graduands were trained on Agribusiness (crop and livestock farming), Information Communication Technology as well as Catering and Craft.
Awoyomi, represented by Ahmad Kigo, Executive Director, Services, NETCO, said the training was one of the many Corporate Social Responsibility services being embarked upon by the company.
He said: “As you all know, we can solve a lot of problems if we adopt a skills acquisition method.
“We can curb unemployment, create wealth and tackle insecurity which is the present focus of the Federal Government.
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“If our youths are empowered, there will be less security challenges. So, we are doing this not only for the Iru community but for the benefit of the entire nation.”
Awoyomi said the skills impacted on the graduands, ICT, agriculture and event management were in high demand in this era and would be of great benefits to them.
According to him, the government alone cannot do everything hence there is need for citizens to play their own parts in nation-building.
He, therefore, charged the graduands to take advantage of the opportunity to develop themselves and their community.
Also, Garba Deen Muhammad, group general manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, said NNPC and its subsidiaries would continue to promote CSR programmes that touches the lives of millions of Nigerians.
Muhammad, represented by Doris Ohia, Manager, Community Impact Investment, NNPC, thanked the OFFER Centre for the quality of vocational training being given to the graduands.
Bernard Azeez, the Rector of the institute, said the graduands were taken through rigorous training on business development that would enable them successfully run small and medium scale enterprises.
Azeez said they have become professionals in their respective fields and should imbibe the knowledge learnt from the training by being worthy ambassadors of OFFER Centre.
On his part, Gabriel Abegunrin, the Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan Archdiocese, represented by Felix Akinyode, admonished the beneficiaries to utilise the opportunity in order to give back to society.
Similarly, Gbolahan Lawal, the Oniru of Iruland, represented by Bashir Afolami, lauded the cordial relationship between NETCO and the community.
He said the palace would continue to emphasise on building the capacity of the youths through collaboration with organisations and companies operating within the area.
Responding on behalf of the graduands, Sodiq Malik, thanked NETCO and OFFER Centre for the opportunity given to them, promising that they would use it for the good of the nation.
