Yobe, EU to Empower Youths Affected by Boko Haram Insurgency

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Yobe State Government has partnered with the European Union (EU) to empower 5,321 youths on entrepreneurial skills across the 17 local government areas of the state, which is part of a significant intervention initiative meant for states affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Flagging off the programme in Damaturu, the Yobe State Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Social Development, Mr Goni Bukar Lawan, said the state government in collaboration with the EU had concluded arrangements to train and empower the state youths on various skills acquisition programmes.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Galtima Ali, the Commissioner commended the EU for their laudable initiative which was aimed at building resilience and livelihoods among the youths and alleviating poverty.

According to him, the regional body under its Building Resilience in Complex Crisis (BRICC) has agreed to fund the programme in collaboration with the state government where 5,321 youths were expected to benefit from the various entrepreneurship skills.

In his remark, the EU Acting Programme Director, Mr Hugg Briggs, said that over 363 million was estimated to be expended for the training and empowerment of the beneficiaries within a period of 3-6 months.

Mr Briggs added that the programme will concentrate on three thematic areas which consist of social protection, livelihoods and peacebuilding/conflict resolution.

According to him, the European Union BRICC Programme had also partnered closely with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to identify 17 viable ventures that the youths have indicated interest to acquire skills on.

The skills include aluminium works and glass fabrication, automobile electric work, automobile painting, barbing, cap making, furniture making, knitting of mats, seats and covers, tailoring and fashion design among others.