Minister of Power, Alhaji Saleh Mamman on Saturday, in Jalingo, inaugurated a Youths Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Training (YESAT) for 500 youths in Taraba.
The empowerment and skills acquisition programme is under the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project (MHEPP) Local Content Initiative.
Speaking at the event, Mamman said the programme was a collaboration of the power ministry and the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) aimed at addressing MHEPP’s manpower development needs, and to adequately prepare host communities and the entire state, to derive maximum benefits from the project.
The Minister, who lauded President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to youths empowerment programmes, said that YESAT was designed to train and empower 500 youths from each state of the federation, beginning with Taraba.
“The training shall be under five core courses namely, Electrical House Wiring, ICT Essentials, Catering Management, Masonry and Bricklaying and Plumbing, Pipe-Lifting for Plants and Buildings.
“The training shall be carried out in 4 batches of 125 participants each. The selection into the four batches of training will be based strictly on merit and distributed amongst the local government areas of the state,” he said.
He added: “An application process will be done online via NAPTIN’s web portal, which shall be opened for 3 weeks for applications, and participants for each training will select the course of their choice.
“The applicants for the YESAT programme can complete the application form on NAPTIN’s website: www.naptinportal.com.
“I invite all prospective applicants to access the website, as the first batch of training is scheduled to start in the 2nd week in January, through to mid-February 2021.
In his goodwill message to the inauguration, Chairman of the Host Community Development Association, Mr Bobboi Kaigama, assured of the cooperation and support of the Sardauna and Kurmi Local Government Areas, hosts of the Mambilla Power Project, to ensure its success.
Gov. Darius Ishaku, in his goodwill message presented by his deputy, Alhaji Haruna Manu, commended the President for his commitment to the implementation of the 3050 KW Mambilla Hydroelectric power project.
He described the training as very significant to human capital development, in readiness for the host communities to benefit from the gigantic electricity project, but lamented the intake of 500 youths as “inadequate” for the host communities.
Ishaku, therefore, advised the minister to consider more youths from Sardauna and Kurmi Local governments, for better representation, being the hosts of the project.
The governor disclosed that the state government was working hard to reposition the capacity of State Polytechnic, Suntai and Taraba State University, Jalingo, in the light of the mega project in the state.
