By Our Correspondent
DELTA State Governor, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has assured the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) of partnership in the area of entrepreneurship and skill acquisition in line with his administration’s job and wealth creation programme.
Governor Okowa who gave the assurance yesterday (20-1-16) in Asaba when he played host to Mr. Phillippe Scholtes, Managing Director, Programmes Development and Technical Cooperation Division, UNIDO Headquarters and his team said that there were various areas the state government would like to partner with UNIDO in creating job and wealth for its teeming youths aside the shoe and leather works production which has reached advanced stage between the UNIDO and the Delta State government.
He stated that the state government was ready to also, partner with UNIDO in the area of agro-business, especially aqua-culture, palm and cassava production and processing.
‘’We will co-operate with you beyond what we are doing now; we hope to partner with you in the area of Agriculture especially, in the production and processing of cassava, palm and aqua-culture where we have comparative advantages,” he said, adding, “we believe that we must find ways of re-orientating our youths to make them embrace agriculture and skill acquisition as means of creating jobs and wealth.’’
He reiterated, ‘’as Nigeria population grows, there is the need to make sure that the people acquire skills that will make them job and wealth creators.’’
Senator Okowa commended UNIDO for its industrialization programmes stating that, they were in line with his administration’s SMART agenda of job and wealth creation.
He observed that UNIDO has laudable programmes aimed at empowering the people which his administration would key into.
Earlier in their separate addresses, Mr. Scholtes, Aurelia Calabro-Bellamoli (Senior industrial Officer, UNIDO) and Mr. Jesse Ojobor explained that UNIDO is a specialized agency of United Nations that provide technical services to government to ensure an inclusive and sustainable industrial growth.
While stating that they were in Asaba to facilitate the early take off of the shoe and leather manufacturing centre, Issele-Uku, they commended Governor Okowa for his desire to empower the people through the prosperity agenda, noting that there were other areas they could partner with the state government for speedy sustainable development of the state.
‘’Delta State Leather and Foot wear Production Centre is the biggest in sub-sahara Africa with a capacity to train 3,000 people annually and produce high quality products for the sub-sahara African Market; we are enthused by the Governor’s interest in empowering the people,” they emphasised.
