The 1 year in office of the indefatigable Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu was eventful. That today, Abians have doffed their cap for the fourth democratically elected Governor of the 24 years old state. One of such areas that received a Midas touch was the sphere of job creation.
Dr. Ikpeazu's penchant for ameliorating the rate youths’ unemployment is enshrined in the State’s Economic Development Blueprint (2015-2025). Governor Ikpeazu, been a youth, understands the plights of juveniles, which has spurred him to end the epoch of “kekerization” and “Okadarization” of youths to be replaced with programmes that will educate, train and financially empower Abia youths in various skills.
Unemployment has become a malaise plaguing third world countries, and here in Abia State our amiable Governor has made laudable achievements to reverse that ugly situation. These feats includes viz:
CREATION OF AN ATTRACTIVE AND ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR INVESTMENT: Before the ascendency of Governor Ikpeazu to the corridor of power Abia was in a quagmire with so many infrastructural deficits with its attendant economic gridlocks. These bottlenecks scared away investors from the state because doing business in Abia State then was a nightmare.
Presently, because of the numerous infrastructural quick-fix of the Ikpeaze led administration and other favourable business policies put in place by the administration, investors both within and outside the shores of this country have started trooping in to take advantage of the evolving investment friendly climate of Abia State made possible by the ingenuity of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, thereby creating numerous job opportunities for the unemployed.
REVITALIZATION OF MORIBUND FIRMS:
On assumption of office, Gov. Ikpeazu swung into action to give a breath of life to hitherto comatosed, abandoned and rotting-away industries like the International Glass Industries Aba which has commenced production. Of which by June this year, barring any hitches, the Golden Guinea Breweries will become operational creating not less than 10,000 thousands job opportunities kudos to our Governor for this landmark achievement.
More so, re-establishment and revival of agencies for the training of Abians in areas of entrepreneurship, skills acquisition and man power development is a win-win situation for all stakeholders as more than 300 jobs have been created via recruitment of tutors and other personnel for manning those establishments. This is a way of showing Abians how to fish rather than giving them fish.
Such agencies includes:
1. Technology Incubation Center::
In collaboration with National Board for Technology Incubation under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology Abia State Government has completed the renovation of the incubation units and the Administrative Block at the ‘Centre. Admission of entrepreneurs with requisite inclinations have commenced fully for the first time in a number of years.
2. Integrated Skills Acquisition Centre (ISAC)/National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, Aba:
Abia State Government has provided a production Hall for liquid soap production in partnership with National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, Abuja at the Integrated Skills Acquisition Centre, Aba and training of youths in the production of liquid soap has commenced.
3. Technology Skills Acquisition Centre, (TESAC) Umuahia:
Abia State Government has resuscitated the Technical Training Workshop of the Centre in partnership with Private Sector Trainers for the training of Metal Fabricators, Foundry Workers, Machine Builders, Auto-Technicians, etc. The aim is to raise sound, technical manpower in the state.
DIRECT JOB PLACEMENT:
TIMAAS: Transport and Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State; A brainchild of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to curtail recklessness and indiscipline on our roads that eventually results to loss of lives. This agency has, well, recruited over 500 personnel, trained by a competent and recognized traffic institute in synergy with Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC). This job opportunity is a green pasture for unemployed youths.
EMPOWEREMENT THROUGH SKILL ACQUISITION PROGRAMMES
One of the cardinal programmes of this present administration is the area of youths empowerment and this is made true by the establishment of a vocational training programme notably, Education for Employment (E4E) which have since kicked off, and churned out her first set of graduates. And the government has setup a platform to assist them financially.
The South-East Entrepreneur Development Center (SEEDC) this present administration doggedly strived to ensure that this programme was hosted in Abia State, to give Abia youths the first-hand advantage of training and financial empowerment to establish private thriving businesses, then secondly other South-Eastern States.
The attendees will be taught how to nurture and grow a thriving business to be capable of employing other youths.
The State Government’s effort at formalizing the informal structure through State Technical and Vocational Qualifications Framework (STVQF) is one of the building blocks of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVEF) reform plans that would ensure more jobs created. Two striking informal hubs which train experts in thousands but mostly uncertified technicians and other artisans are the Ariaria International market, Aba Mega Mall (electronic village of Abia), Mbuka (Motor mechanics) and Garment makers Association at Kent road, both in Abia state.
The STVQF is intended to cover the existing workforce and those entering the vocation. The framework would allow for the recognition of skills acquired in the informal sector, and includes post-secondary qualification up to diploma level. The Ministry of commerce and industry estimates that about ₦1 billion monthly as internally generated revenue (IGR) is realizable from the informal sector.
The State Government through the Ministry of Education wants to create an Apprenticeship scheme for garment makers and shoe makers. The Common Facility Centre (CFC), 18 Industry Layout, Aba is one of the major centers that will assist greatly in mentoring, reducing training period from the usual 7 years to 2 years or less. Gov. Ikpeazu wants the 10,000 sandals he intends to give free to Abia students to be made-in-aba by Abians. Re-sensitization of the youths and financial institutions via electronic, print and social media cannot be over emphasized. He desires that the rice and other food items in the State Government’s free meal scheme for students be home grown and not imported.
AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT DRIVE:
A discovery of black gold in Nigeria with the attendant flowing in of petro-dollars crippled our agricultural sector heralding a new era of ‘get-rich-quick syndrome’. The utter neglect of the agric sector has boomeranged on us as the price of crude oil in the international market has fallen drastically, leading to untold economic challenges.
The way forward is to re-embrace agriculture which is the only source of food, and raw materials for agro based industries and potential of creating numerous job opportunities one of the Federal Government’s agenda is agriculture as an antidote to revive the tottering economy.
Happily, our own Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has keyed into it, proffering workable approaches of how to make agriculture attractive to our youths as a means of employment and empowerment.
Registration, setting up a smoothly running of agricultural co-operatives by the youths in these project areas, would assist them in having bankable projects, and should be encouraged more as this would ensure more funding and profit making for the youth. 1 billion naira Agricultural loan is been sourced by the Abia State Government to spur agricultural activities in the State. The State Ministry of Agriculture is to plant 1 million rubber trees. Farm settlements are coming back so as to increase jobs. Optimization of farming processes to increase yields, store harvest for all year availability of various food items, and boost exportation of food commodities is in the pipeline.
JOB CREATION THROUGH SECURITY:
The present Abia State Government has used a stone to kill 2 birds as the Governor ordered the traditional rulers to submit names of 10 able bodied men from that domains for rural / local policing, a feat that will checkmate porous security in all the nooks and crannies of Abia State as well as creating more than 7000 job opportunities there from.
JOB CREATION VIA ENHANCED TRANPORTATION SYSTEM
Our visionary Governor that knows his onions has presently provided the first batch of 100 brand new Hyundai cars for Township Taxi Scheme. This scheme has dual benefits as it will certainly create jobs for Abians thereby putting food on the tables of many, as the services of drivers will be needed as well as a government controlled transport charges thereby cushioning the effects of the hardship occasioned by the hike in fuel price.
LEVERAGING ON POWER SECTOR REFORMS:
The successful resolution of this Geometric Power dispute at Aba will provide between 12 and 18 hours of electricity to the people of Aba and environs. During one of his functions in EXCO Chamber, Gov. Ikpeazu said that long hours of uninterrupted power supply per day will create jobs, lower production costs and make local products more competitive in the Local and International markets, shooting up the Nation’s foreign exchange earnings. Abia will now have more industrial clusters, as more real sector businesses will likely spring up. Kudos to our Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and the Federal Government.
Thus, our Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is giving the youths an alternative to crime. These agricultural and entrepreneurship policies are fashioned to benefit mainly Abia youths. Nearly 60% of Abia youths are either unemployed or unemployable. Hence, these policies and programmes initiated by the Ikpeazu led administration to adequately equip, empower and position the average Abia youth for unprecedented success and exploits in life.
Ubani Newman Ubani is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media
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