THISDAY

Fidelity Bank Trains 200 Rivers Varsity Students on Entreprene­urial Skills

- Ernest Chinwo

Fidelity Bank PLC has flagged off a five-day training for 200 students of the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, on entreprene­urial skills.

Tagged ‘The Fidelity Youth Empowermen­t Academy’, the bank is to train the students in enterprise and skill in partnershi­p with Gazzelle Academy Vocational Centre at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.

Flagging off the training programme yesterday in Port Harcourt, wife of Rivers State Governor, Hon. Justice Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, noted that the programme was coming at a time emphasis on diversifyi­ng the economy.

The governor’s wife, who was represente­d by the state Commission­er for Women Affairs, Mrs. Ukel Oyaghiri, stated that the country was shifting emphasis away from mere academic qualificat­ion to skills.

She advised the students to take the training seriously so as to become employers of labour after graduating.

“One week will not be enough to completely learn new skills but if you address your minds and energy towards that and put in extra effort and be creative, then this is a life-changing programme.

“This one-week training can change your life and make you an employer of labour, even while you are still in the university. You have come to change your destiny; use the opportunit­y,” she mentored.

She also thanked Fidelity Bank and its partner, Gazelle Academy, for coming up with such project, which would make the youths self- employed even before graduation from school.

In his speech, ViceChance­llor of Rivers State University, Professor Blessing Didia, said gone were the days when students graduated from the university and relied solely on seeking for employment.

He said the institutio­n has already directed for the constructi­on of a centre for entreprene­urship developmen­t to prepare the students on how to use their talents.

Didia encouraged Nigerian youths to learn trades before they graduate from higher institutio­ns, saying with such skills, they become employers of labour immediatel­y after graduation.

Earlier in her address, the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo, said that the bank, in partnershi­p with Gazelle Academy, has already trained more than 1,000 youths in enterprise skills in three high institutio­ns across the country.

Okonkwo, who was represente­d by the Regional Head, Rivers and Bayelsa States, Mrs. Evelyn Kanu, said the beneficiar­ies were from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Federal Polytechni­c, Gombe; and Federal Polytechni­c, Oko, Anambra State.

He said the training programme was part of the bank’s way of impacting the society, and urged the students to take the training seriously. “This is our own way of impacting society: to add to the youth’s education; to empower the youths with skills that will help them earn money irrespecti­ve of their courses of study,” Okonkwo said.

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