The Ebonyi State Government has committed not less than ₦100 million to train 100 youths from the state's 13 local government areas in articulated truck driving and heavy-duty equipment operation as part of efforts to develop local manpower for emerging industries.
The Commissioner for Skills Development and Job Creation, Prof. Ajuka Obasi Nwogo, disclosed this on Monday in Abakaliki, saying the initiative was designed to empower youths with marketable technical skills and reduce dependence on external manpower.
Nwogo said the beneficiaries would undergo an intensive four-week training programme at the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, Kaduna State, with the state government covering their registration, tuition, accommodation, feeding and transportation, as well as providing stipends.
He said the programme was driven partly by the need to prepare skilled indigenous workers for the proposed cement industry and other industrial and infrastructure projects in the state.
“The state government, in its quest to empower the youths and make them independent and self-reliant, has decided to embark on training Ebonyi indigenes in truck driving and heavy-duty equipment operation and safety,” he said.
According to the commissioner, the training will cover articulated vehicles and heavy equipment, including bulldozers, forklifts, tractors and other agricultural machinery.
He added that successful participants would receive two certificates to support their professional development and facilitate access to the appropriate driving licences.
Nwogo said the initiative was open to both male and female youths and would improve beneficiaries' employment prospects in the public and private sectors, including opportunities outside the state.
He disclosed that the government had paid ₦100 million to the institute for the programme, describing it as the first phase of a broader skills-development initiative.
The commissioner said the training, initially designed to last three months, had been compressed into four weeks to ensure completion before Christmas.
He added that relevant state ministries, particularly those responsible for works and infrastructure, could engage some of the trained operators, although the programme was not restricted to government employment.
On plans to train equipment maintenance personnel, Nwogo said the current phase focused on operation and safety, adding that the government would assess its outcome before deciding on subsequent interventions.
He also said the state was working with NITT to strengthen access to specialised training, noting that the transport technology centre at Uwana, Ebonyi State, was not yet operating at full capacity.
Nwogo said the government intended to sustain the initiative to expand technical skills, improve youth employability and provide local manpower for the state's developing industrial sector.
