Embassy boosts Abia youth training programme with yearly grant
THE Abia state’s Multiskill Entrepreneurship Development Centre has received N15million support from the Chinese government to boost its operations.
The Chinese Ambassador in Nigeria, Dr Zhou Pingjian, represented by the Embassy's Charge d' Affairs Mr Lin Jing, made the donation when he visited the training centre at Umuobiakwa in Obingwa local government area.
The Senior Adviser to the state governor Dr Okezie Ikpeazu on Youth Employment, Chinenye Nwaogu said the grant was an annual support from the Chinese government.
The Ambassador said China made the pledge two months ago when he visited the state saying, “the Embassy highly cherishes its cooperation with Abia State and has and will always deepen its friendship with Abia State by action rather than empty talk.”
He said that transforming China's demographic dividend into competitive advantage has become the key to its industrialization and development success. With the median age of Nigerian people less than 18 years old, and half of its population, under 30 years old, he predicted that if they are tapped to the fullest extent, Nigeria’s demographic dividend will definitely be transplanted into development and prosperity.
According to him, the Embassy will in this regard, work with Abia and other relevant stakeholders to promote youth empowerment across Nigeria, saying, “if Chinese can do it, Nigerians can do it too, and we together can do it better.”
Governor Ikpeazu who was represented by his deputy, Ude Oko Chukwu expressed appreciation to the Chinese collaboration saying that the grant will spur the state to do more adding that Abia, under Ikpeazu, is committed to putting in place the enabling facilities for the citizenry to do things with their hands and earn decent living.
He said that the training academy and Multiskill Centre would be replicated in the other two senatorial zones of the state knowing that if the people are empowered with appropriate training and increase their capacity, unemployment and poverty will be reduced.