The managing director of the National Hydropower Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPADDEC), Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, has said starter packs worth N2 billion will be distributed to unemployed youths in its catchment states to empower them to be self-reliant.
He disclosed this in an interview yesterday while describing the commission’s programmes and projects for the communities in the catchment states.
Sadeeq-Yelwa said, “These packs will soon be delivered to the commission, and they will be distributed after that; the distribution is expected to be inaugurated by the First Lady Oluremi Tinubu in Minna and will also be launched in the various states by the wives of the governors.”
The managing director also disclosed that the commission will soon complete the resettlement schemes in Muregi, Ketso in Niger and Kogi states.
He said, “We have paid attention to facilitating the construction of the housing scheme in Muregi, Ketso and Shiroro areas in Niger and Kogi; we decided to do that to prepare our minds for the challenges that will come forth as a result of the heavy rainfall some of our communities are likely to witness.”
He explained that the resettlement was a proactive measure against likely floods in some riverine communities as the rainy season sets in.
While saying that a drainage scheme was ongoing in Agaie, Niger State, he said, “There are certain villages in Agaie local government that the River Kaduna is trying to impact, and we are trying to see what we can do about that.”