By Abbas Nazil
Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has pledged to expand the state’s youth skills development programme to accommodate more young people, saying investment in practical and digital skills is essential to reducing poverty, improving productivity and creating better economic opportunities.
Mbah made the commitment while touring a six-week digital training and skills acquisition programme organised by his Special Assistant on Youth Development and Mobilisation, Charles Edeh, in partnership with CUTECH Group.
The governor, who was represented during the visit by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, said his administration was committed to equipping young people with practical skills that would improve their ability to access employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
He described youth development as a direct investment in the future of the state and promised that the current programme would be expanded to reach more participants.
The initiative is part of efforts by the state government and its partners to strengthen youth development and provide young people with skills relevant to the changing demands of the economy.
The programme currently has 200 participants who were selected from more than 1,500 applicants, according to the Managing Director of CUTECH Group, Collins Onu.
Onu said the high number of applications demonstrated the strong demand among young people for digital training and skills acquisition opportunities.
He explained that the programme formed part of CUTECH Group’s corporate social responsibility efforts to equip young people with relevant knowledge and practical skills for the future.
The Special Assistant to the governor on Youth Development and Mobilisation, Charles Edeh, said the training would form part of a wider youth development framework designed to reach young people across Enugu State’s 17 local government areas.
Edeh said the initiative was only one component of a broader vision aimed at ensuring that young people could access opportunities regardless of where they lived or their socioeconomic circumstances.
He stressed that youth development should be regarded as an investment rather than an expense, noting that the state had a responsibility to ensure that young people were given opportunities to develop their talents and contribute meaningfully to the economy.
According to him, the wider programme would seek to prevent talented young people from being excluded from opportunities simply because they come from rural communities or lack access to relevant resources and networks.
He said every young person in Enugu should have the opportunity to learn, develop their abilities and pursue a productive future.
The current six-week programme focuses on digital training and skills acquisition, providing selected participants with practical knowledge intended to improve their employability and capacity to participate in the digital economy.
The governor’s decision to expand the initiative is expected to increase the number of young people who can benefit from the training and support available through the programme.
The development comes amid growing efforts by governments and private-sector organisations to address youth unemployment and equip young people with skills that can support entrepreneurship, innovation and employment.
The Enugu State administration said investing in youth development would help strengthen the productive capacity of the state while creating pathways for young people to become economically independent.
The partnership between the state government and CUTECH Group also demonstrates the potential role of private-sector organisations in complementing government efforts to expand access to skills development.
With more than 1,500 applications received for only 200 available places, the demand for the programme highlights the scale of interest among young people in Enugu for practical training and opportunities that can improve their economic prospects.
Mbah said his administration would continue to support initiatives that provide young people with relevant skills and create opportunities for them to contribute to the development of Enugu State.
The planned expansion is expected to extend the reach of the programme beyond its current beneficiaries and strengthen the state’s broader youth development strategy across its 17 local government areas.
