- By, Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba
No fewer than 300 youths from Delta State attended a career/ leadership mentorship programme by industry leaders.
The event ,which is a collaboration between Foundation for Partnership Initiatives In the Niger Delta (PIND) and Young Professional (YP) Asaba, was held in Asaba, Delta Capital.
The one day event had young university graduates within the 30 years age bracket mentored by lawyers, accountants, medical doctors and the members of the business class.
Chief Executive Officer, Unboxed and Convener, Young Professional (YP) Asaba, Mr. Wale Adenuga, in an interview, said the event is a career mentoring programme that provided participants with opportunity to connect with industry leaders.
According to him, the programme would afford young people the opportunity to gain insights, ask questions and connect with mentors from different areas of human endeavour.
Adenuga said the mentoring programme which started since 2015 has berthed in different cities including Lagos, Calabar and Asaba.
He said over 65% of youths participating in the event in Delta state are interested in digital media technology, stressing that business leaders who have distinguished themselves have been selected to be mentors at the occasion.
Adenuga stressed that the event was a mentoring and not an empowering event that offers starter packs to participants.
He said insights gained by mentees at such occasions have transformed the lives of many mentees.
Patrick Ekpe, Youths Employment Pathways Project (PIND), said PIND is a non profit organization working within the Niger Delta region to impact on economic development and peace building.
Ekpe noted that PIND has been collaborating with Young Professional as a career mentorship programme to help support young persons build their skills within the region.
He said that PIND’s youth employment programme (YEP) is to ensure that all skills that are market relevant including ICT, Building Construction and Renewable Energy in the Niger Delta are captured.
Executive Director PIND, Tunji Idowu, expressed happiness at the youths who according to him, “turned up early and in huge numbers” to participate at the event.
He said despite the negatives associated with youths of the Niger Delta region, “every year, we have been able to prove that if we invest in young people, they can rise up to the occasion if we channel their (youths) energies correctly.”
Tunji went on, “About 300 youths showed up on time,showed up prepared and the level of engagements with their mentees.”
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On funding for entrepreneurs, Mr Idowu maintained that funding is available from multiple sources including equity and loans, adding that only efficiently run businesses are eligible.
He said PIND had trained and built the capacity of over six thousand youths in PIND’s youth employment programme (YEP) with a 95% success rate.
Idowu noted that PIND did not give starter packs but rather engaged participants in a “challenge fund” that requires them to pitch their business ideas.
Chuks Ofulue, Advocacy Manager (PIND) the organisation works solely with partners, adding that PIND through its YEP scheme have collaborated with the Delta state wealth creation scheme since 2017.
The highpoint of the occasion was the pitching of business ideas by four selected participants.
Miss Chinwe Unique Abujai and Mr Solomon Chigozie emerged winners carting home the sum of N125,000 each.