Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Thursday, built on its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as its Managing Director, Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman flagged off a training for the empowering of 600 youths from Nsukka/Igboeze-South Federal Constituency on soap/detergent-making business and other related small scale enterprises.
The NPA boss also assured the beneficiaries during the inauguration of empowerment programme in Nsukka that the Authority would be responsible for both the training and provision of start-up capital as part of it’s corporate social responsibility.
“The empowerment is meant to assist the youth so that they will earn a living as well as assist their siblings and parents”, Hadiza who was represented by Mr. Sam Nwachukwu of the Public Affairs Department stated, noting that youth gainfully preoccupied would hardly stray into crime.
“If a youth has something doing, it will reduce the chances of him or her engaging in crime. NPA has done same empowerment as part of its corporate social responsibility in some states of the country as a way of reducing unemployment as well as helping youths to acquire skills,” she said.
The Managing Director said NPA would monitor the activities of the beneficiaries and would give more financial support to diligent among them.
“This start-up capital is given to beneficiaries to enable the NPA know those who are serious to start business as well as those who will eat up their own. This money given to them is not refundable as is not loan but a grant to help them start business.
“I advise them to make judicious use of the money to enable the authority give them more money to increase their business”, Hadiza further stated, commending Dr. Pat Asadu, the House of Representatives member (PDP- Nsukka /Igboeze-South) and the House Committee Chairman on Ports, Harbour and Waterways, for the manner his committee discharged its duties.
In his remarks, Asadu thanked NPA for empowering 600 youths in his constituency and for providing some solar street light panels in the wards within his constituency.
The legislator urged youths in the area to make good use of the opportunity, adding that some of them would become successful businessmen and women in future due to the empowerment.
“Some successful business men and women in the world started like this but because of their determination and hard work, they are today celebrated.
“I attracted this empowerment to help youths in my constituency, because I know the main challenge facing the youth is unemployment”, Asadu said.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Edward Isiwu, who is the consultant for the empowerment programme, said the beneficiaries were selected from all wards that made up the constituency.
“My promise to youths who did not benefit from this current NPA empowerment is that, they will benefit in less than one month when I will do my constituency empowerment,” he promised.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Christian Eze, commended NPA for the empowerment and Asadu who attracted it to the constituency.
“Five youths from my association are here for this empowerment, Asadu has been good to us, whenever he comes home, and he assists us through our associations or individually in solving our various problems.
“We promise to ensure that we invest whatever money given to us for this empowerment as required. Our prayer is that, God will grant Asadu his heart desire of going back to House of Representatives so that more people will benefit from him”, he added.
