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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has commended the training of 200 youths in digital and specialised skills, saying such initiatives will help tackle poverty, boost productivity, and create opportunities for young people in the state.
Mbah gave the commendation in Enugu while inspecting an ongoing six-week digital training and specialised skills acquisition programme organised by his Special Assistant on Youth Development and Mobilisation, Charles Edeh, in partnership with CUTECH Group of Companies.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the initiative was in line with his administration’s commitment to equipping young people with practical skills that would improve their livelihoods and enable them to contribute meaningfully to the state’s economy.
He specifically commended Edeh and CUTECH Group for investing in the development of young people, describing skills acquisition as a direct investment in the future of Enugu.
“What Hon. Edeh and CUTECH Group are exactly part of the state government’s vision of ensuring that our youths are equipped with basic skills that will make life easier,” Onyia said.
He said the government would explore ways of expanding the programme to accommodate more beneficiaries, adding that consideration would also be given to making the training a quarterly exercise, particularly during school holidays.
“Youth development is a direct investment in the future of Enugu State. When young people gain practical skills, they become more productive, more confident, and better prepared to contribute meaningfully to the economy and society,” he said.
The SSG also praised the organisers for their efforts in changing lives through practical training, noting that the strong response to the programme showed the growing demand for skills development among the young people.
Speaking on the initiative, Edeh said the programme was designed as part of efforts to build a youth development framework capable of reaching young people across the state’s 17 local government areas.
He described youth development as an investment rather than an expense, saying his office was committed to providing opportunities for young people to acquire skills and become self-reliant.
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“This programme is only one step in a much broader vision. We want to ensure that talent does not remain undiscovered simply because a young person comes from a rural community or lacks access to opportunity,” Edeh said.
“Every young person in Enugu deserves a chance to dream, a chance to learn, and a chance to succeed.”
He said the training would help beneficiaries develop practical skills that could enable them to create opportunities for themselves while contributing to the development of their families and communities.
“When we train a young person, we are not only changing one life. We are potentially changing a family, a community, and, ultimately, the future of our state,” he said.
Edeh said the goal was to build a state where young people would not merely wait for opportunities but would have the skills and confidence to create them.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CUTECH Group, Collins Onu, said the programme was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility initiative aimed at making a positive impact on the people of Enugu State.
Onu disclosed that more than 1,500 young people applied to participate in the programme, but only 200 were admitted in the first phase because of the organisation’s limited capacity. He said the company was considering expanding the programme to accommodate more beneficiaries, adding that the high number of applicants demonstrated the strong desire among young people to acquire skills and improve their prospects.
“The training is focused on giving young people practical skills that can improve their opportunities and help them become productive members of society,” Onu said.
He said CUTECH Group believed that young people should be given the right tools and knowledge to build a better future, stressing that digital skills had become increasingly important in today’s economy.
Onu also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote capacity building and create positive change in communities.
The event featured presentations by beneficiaries on the skills they had acquired in areas including baking, construction, computer software development, hardware repairs, audio and visual editing, fashion design, marketing and photography.
