Operators of Oil Mining Licence (OML 34), ND-Western Asset Management Team (AMT) and Nigeria Exploration and Production Limited/Joint Venture, recently put smiles on the faces of some youths in their areas of operations with the graduation of hundreds of youths under its skill acquisition training, offering starter packs worth millions of naira to the beneficiaries.
The students who were trained at the Delta State Government owned Multi Purpose Training Centre in Egbokodo – Itsekiri, Warri South local government area of the state, were drawn from various host communities of the operational areas of the oil firm.
Presenting certificates and Starters Packs to the graduands at the exhibition/graduation ceremony, on Monday, on behalf of the Management and Staff of NEPL/ND Western OML 34 AMT, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr. Eberechukwu Oji, who was represented by the Manager, Government, Community Relations and Security, said that the graduands are not just beneficiaries but ambassadors for positive change to the society.
Mr Oji called on the graduands to judiciously utilise the items and not put the Starters Packs for sale, admonishing that to utilise the training and be of good conduct as mentors to others.
He said that NEPL/ND Western OML 34 AMT, had over the years maintained cordial relationship with its host communities, embarking on various social-development programmes that would impact the indigenes positively.
According to him, the training which was deliberately brought to the centre to ensure the beneficiaries have a National Operational Standard (NOS) training as required by the National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB), was to help the state government alleviate poverty and reduce crime in the society.
In her welcome address, the Centre Administrator, Mrs Peace Oreva Okonye, expressed gratitude to NEPL/ND-Western JV OML 34 for the gesture accorded the trainees.
She said that the centre was built by the Delta State Government in partnership with UN development programme and SPDC in 2008 for promotion of human capital and sustainable development for training of youths for industrial and market needs of the society.
She said that the centre, managed under the state Ministry of Economic Planning, had 200 trainees who have successfully satisfied the requirements for graduation including SEPLAT trainees and OML 34 trainees who trained from April to September 2023 and July to December 2023 respectively.
According to her, the centre curriculum was designed to cover domestic, hospitality, construction and technical skills, maintaining that the youths through the sponsorship of the oil companies had livelihood skills which comprises of the various vocations, life skills/entrepreneurship which involves psychosocial and interpersonal skills as well as mindset change.
She admonished the graduands to justify the purpose of the training by using the items given to them judiciously to impact the society.
In his goodwill message, Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sunday Ekedanyen who was represented by a director in the Ministry, Mr. Ben Nwaokolo, said that the purpose for establishing the centre is yearning dividends and thanked the oil companies for the bringing the students to the centre to harness their entrepreneurial acumen.
He thanked the graduands for be resilience in their training and congratulated them for their successful graduation and exhibition.
In their separate remarks, the President of OML 34 trainees, Charles Borke and women leader of OML 34 trainees, Bere Ogheneruemu respectively, showered praises on the oil firm for giving them to the opportunity to be self reliance, pledging to be industrious with the training acquired.
Broke said; “I can say that with what we have learnt here, none of us will go home without impacting others. What we have learnt here is highly appreciated. Here, we didn’t pay a dime, we were fed, given stipends and to crown it all, today we are leaving here with certificates and starter packs to start our own business. So we are very appreciative. This jean I am wearing was made from here and it gets to show you how much we learnt from this training program”.
In the same vein, Bere Ogheneruemu thanked the oil company for the opportunity giving to them to excel, urging the beneficiaries not to sell their starter packs but put them to use.
Speaking, the ND-Western training coordinator, Mrs. Eunice Akpourhobo, said that the programme was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility to it’s host communities, maintaining that the beneficiaries were carefully nominated by the host communities.
While thanking the staff and management of the oil company for empowering youths with various vocations in the state, she disclosed that the beneficiaries underwent vocational training in ICT, hairdressing, cosmetology, catering/hotel management, electrical installation, welding/fabrication, auto mechanical among others skills.