The Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) are engaging in discussions to strengthen their collaboration and provide training opportunities for Niger Delta ex-agitators in the power sector.
In a statement issued by Freston Akpor, the SA Media to the PAP Interim Administrator, it was revealed that NAPTIN would conduct training sessions as part of the non-formal education vocational training scheme offered by the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
The statement added that the latest collaboration formed part of discussions held when the NAPTIN Director-General, Mr. Ahmed Bolaji Nagode and his management team paid a courtesy call to the PAP Interim Administrator, Major-Gen Barry Ndiomu (rtd).
In his remarks, Mr. Nagode expressed the Institute’s readiness to partner with the PAP in broader areas to build the capacity of ex-agitators and youths in the Niger Delta to play critical roles in the power and related sectors.
“Youths from the Niger Delta who undergo the training scheme would not only become self-reliant but also job creators and employers of labour who would grow the nation, improve human capital and make Nigeria better economically,” he said.
The Director-General highlighted three key areas for skill acquisition and development in the power sector, namely: Solar PV Installation, Mini Grid and Metering, which according to him, will enhance job creation and help ex-agitators to become independent.
Mr. Nagode explained that “As an institute, NAPTIN is at the fore to develop those trade skills for the power sector which is also in line with the policy direction of the PAP Interim Administrator’s desire to see youths from the Niger Delta drive the economic growth of the region”.
Responding, the PAP Interim Administrator expressed gratitude to the NAPTIN team for the seriousness it attached to the earlier request for a collaboration, and assured that efforts are on to design a workable plan to get the project up and running.
He said the PAP under his watch is eager to see that registered ex-agitators from the region are empowered with relevant skills to build their capacity to enable them to become self-reliant.
It would be recalled that the Interim Administrator had earlier paid a visit to NAPTIN to broker a partnership between the PAP and the Institute to train and build the capacity of ex-agitators from the Niger Delta in power related areas.
