NIGER DELTA MINISTRY EMPOWERS INITIATIVE OVER 400 C' RIVER YOUTHS

At least four hundred and ten youths from Cross River State have completed three days of training in the on-going Youth Empowerment programme for the nine states in the Niger Delta region. The empowerment scheme, facilitated by the Nigeria Delta Ministry and a team consultants and facilitators drawn from Nollywood and coordinated by ace film producer, Paul Obazele, is designed solely for the Youths of the Niger Delta region give them the necessary skills and capacity to explore and exploit their innate potentials in the film and music industries.

Paul Obazele, who spoke to journalists in Calabar at the end of the training, said 'The essence is to empower the youths through training and capacity building and we have been able to play that rule as demanded by the Ministry.'

He disclosed that from the pool of youths that trooped out to attend the training programme, ten would be selected from the state, five from each category to undergo further round of empowerment by the facilitators of the programme.

He said the ten from Cross River State would make up the ninety that would be eventually chosen to for the final phase of this initiative, adding that during the training it was discovered that the Youths in the state have lots to offer if given the opportunity to exhibit their natural productive talents.

He said, 'rather than the erroneous impression held in many quarters that the Niger Delta youths are restive, the training session so far conducted in some states indicate to the contrary that they are enthusiastic towards being engaged in more productive ventures.'

Ace film producer gave indication that the ninety finalists, ten from each of the states in the region, would be remunerated provided with facilities that would further broaden their skills in their chosen fields, expressing hope that the event would be a continuous event for the youths in the region thanked the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godsday Orubebe and President Goodluck Jonathan in particular for making the programme to come to fruition.

'By the grace of God we will be doing it continuously because the President of this country, Goodluck Jonathan wants this thing to affect the communities directly. So, it is a continuous thing. As I have always said I will continue to thank Mr. President for keeping the dreams of the people alive', Obazele said.