GOV SOLUDO DOLES OUT 2BN NAIRA grant to 5,000 TRAINED YOUTHS

REPORTER: BEN ILECHUKWU

Anambra State Government has disbursed cheques worth of N2,000,000,000.00 to empower 5,000 beneficiaries of the pilot phase of the “One Youth, Two Skills programme.”

According to the Governor, the aim and vision of the initiative was to create at least 1,000 youth entrepreneur as well as providing 130,000 private jobs annually in the state.

Presenting the cheques to the beneficiaries during the graduation and business financing ceremony for batch one beneficiaries of the scheme at the International Convention Centre, Awka, the Governor emphasized that “human capital development is Anambra’s greatest resources” even as he described youths as the bridge to the future.

He stated that the grant each of them would receive should be enough to purchase the equipment they needed to start up their businesses.

He also told the beneficiaries to reach out to their various local government areas by Wednesday next week to pick up their cheques.

Governor Soludo further announced a mapped out special funding of about N5,000,000 grants for participants that would want to scale up their businesses through the Anambra State Small Business Agency (ASBA).

Earlier, in a speech, the Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Patrick Agha Mba, hinted that the next phase of the exercise would soon commence and expected to target about ten thousand beneficiaries.

He further described the exercise as a revolution capable of making the youth economically self reliant, employers of labour, which would in turn put to an end to youth restiveness in the area.

EDITED