The Foundation for Partnership for Initiatives in Niger Delta, in collaboration with a group known as the Young Professionals, has trained no fewer than 350 youths in Ondo State in various professional skills as part of its mentor/mentee initiative.
According to the organisation, the participants of the training comprised corps members and non-corps members within the age range of 16 to 30 years.
Speaking at the training in Akure, the state capital, on Saturday, the Youth Employment Pathways Manager for PIND Foundation, Mr. Patrick Ekpe, said the high current unemployment rate in the country among the young population called for the need for skills training across the Niger Delta states to provide support, information, and mentorship.
Ekpe listed some of the skills that young people would benefit from the training, including integrated agriculture, solar installation and inverter maintenance, ICT, building construction skills, and electrical installation, among others.
Ekpe said, “This initiative, which started last year, will continue until August this year and is targeting unemployed individuals, persons with disabilities, and young women with high degrees within the age range of 16 to 30 years.”
In his remarks, the Executive Director of PIND Foundation, Mr. Tunji Idowu, said mentorship was a widely recognized process that could accelerate the growth of younger individuals by allowing them to learn from those who are older and more experienced in their professional fields.
He explained that the program was aimed at empowering the beneficiaries to achieve their goals by learning from the experiences of their mentors to attain greatness.
Idowu also emphasized that PIND focused significantly on youth development, which “is why the mentor/mentee initiative is crucial for preparing the youth to be employable in society or to become their own bosses without fear of the unknown.”
“This is part of PIND’s contribution to job creation in the country by mentoring young people on building and maintaining relationships, communication, and personal branding. The overall goal is to provide guidance to help them navigate their journey and reduce confusion in their lives.
“Nigeria is blessed with many brilliant and smart young people, and every leader needs to invest in them and remove the obstacles in their path. The government can only do so much, but as long as they don’t put impediments in their way, the youth can succeed on their own,” Idowu stressed.
He called on the government to be proactive, saying the young people coming up nowadays simply want a good environment to pursue their goals.
One of the mentors of the beneficiaries and state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Engr. Razak Obe, commended the organizers, describing the program as a legitimate shortcut in life for young people, allowing them to learn from others’ mistakes rather than their own.
“Programs like this are novel because they are intentionally targeted at young people, and if they are nurtured in their hearts, they will transform the nation,” Obe lauded.
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