The office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) say they are collaborating to train ex-militants on related areas in the power sector.
In a statement signed by the special assistant (media) to the PAP interim administrator, Freston Akpor, the collaboration will ensure that NAPTIN trains the ex-agitators as part of the non-formal education vocational training scheme of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
According to the statement, the latest collaboration formed part of discussions held when the NAPTIN director-general, Mr. Ahmed Bolaji Nagode and his management team paid a courtesy visit to the PAP interim administrator, Major-Gen. Ndiomu (rtd).
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 skills acquisition and development in the power sector, namely: solar PV installation, mini grid and metering which according to him, would enhance job creation and help ex-agitators to become independent.
He explained that as an institute, NAPTIN was at the fore to develop those trade skills for the power sector which are in line with the policy direction of the interim administrator’s desire to see youths from the Niger Delta drive the economic growth of the region.
Major-Gen Ndiomu (rtd) expressed gratitude to the NAPTIN team for the seriousness attached to the earlier request for a collaboration and assured that efforts were on to design a workable plan to get the project up and running.
Ndiomu said the PAP under his watch was eager to see that registered ex-agitators from the region were empowered with relevant skills to build their capacity to enable them to become self-reliant.
