By Ikechukwu Odu
NSUKKA– Two non-governmental organisations, Ochima, and Barrister Sam Otoboeze Foundations, on Friday, identified engagement of youths in productive ventures as the panacea for the escalating criminalities and insecurity in Nigeria.
The Foundations which blamed increase in crimes and recurring youth restiveness on the economic and socio-political problems in Nigeria, enjoined governments to incorporate the youth population into the growth plan of the nation.
In his opening address during the training of 125 youths at Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, the President of Barrister Sam Otoboeze Foundation, BSOF, Sam Otoboeze, said the two Foundations are on interventionist mission to train the youths on skills and capacity building in order to flatten the curve of insecurity in our environments.
While speaking on the theme of the training tagged ‘Poverty Alleviation Training to Curb Insecurity in Nigeria,’ PATCIN, Barrister Otoboeze, discouraged the youths from engaging in drug abuse and crimes but rather to commit themselves on productive ventures to guarantee a secured future for themselves.
He equally informed the participants that 90 percent of beneficiaries of the PATCIN Project in 2021 are already employers of labour, adding that the Foundations’ team of experts would go through the business plans submitted by this year’s participants to credibly select those who would merit the grants.
“…the growth of the youth population in the country is on a geometrical progression, while the growth of opportunities for employment is on an arithmetical regression rate viz a viz the flattening capacity of the security agencies to contain incidents of crime in Nigeria. In any case, brutal force will never provide the ultimate solution to restore the country to a safe and secure country.
” What will solve the problem is to engage the youths in a more productive manner and increase the economic fortune of the country,” Barrister Otoboeze also said.
Also, a member of Board of Trustees, BoT, of Ochima Foundation, HRH, Igwe Emma Ugwu, challenged the youths to discover themselves by working in partnership with God to reveal their destinies.
The monarch equally urged the youths to eschew crime and criminalities, get-rich-quick syndrome and other social vices, urging them to work hard in their chosen endeavours for prosperity.
Also, the Organizational Manager of BSOF, Erica Okibe, in a chat with newsmen, explained that apart from the grants, ranging from N100, 000 to N350, 000 which the Foundations give to beneficiaries, they also mentor and give skills training to ensure that their businesses grow.
Okibe equally said that the BSOF embarks on monitoring and evaluation of the beneficiaries to ensure that they do not derail from the goals of the Foundation and also to guide their businesses for growth.
Earlier, the keynote speaker, Ikechukwu Agu, enjoined the participants to maintain consistency of thought and action in to succeed in their businesses.
While speaking on the topic ‘Believe in Yourself,’ he urged the participants to have a “typical day,” urging them to “have a plan, write it down, check it, challenge yourself to be different.” He also said that discipline is a key factor for the success of any human endeavour.
Some of the participants, including Nnabueze Okenyi, and Nneka Isiwu, thanked the President of BSOF, Barrister Otoboeze, for coming to the rescue of the youths through his PATCIN Project.
They said that the training has empowered them with the basic entrepreneurship knowledge and equally changed their mentality on security consciousness and financial astuteness, adding that the trainings from security agents and business experts have equipped to face the future challenges.
