The Ebonyi State Government has committed over N100 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 create jobs and develop local manpower for emerging industries.
Ajuka Obasi Nwogo, the Commissioner for Skills Development and Job Creation, stated this on Monday in Abakaliki, saying the initiative was designed to equip youths with specialised technical skills, promote self-reliance and reduce dependence on workers from outside the state.
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 government bearing the costs of registration, tuition, accommodation, feeding and transportation, in addition to providing stipends.
He explained that the programme was partly motivated by the need to prepare indigenous workers for the proposed cement industry in the state and other ongoing industrial and infrastructure projects requiring skilled equipment operators.
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“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 the operation of articulated vehicles, including large trucks, as well as bulldozers, forklifts, tractors and other agricultural machinery.
He added that participants who successfully complete the programme would receive two certificates, including an internationally recognised professional certificate and another to support the acquisition of the appropriate class of driving licence.
Nwogo said the initiative was open to both male and female youths, noting that the skills acquired would improve their employment prospects in the public and private sectors, including opportunities outside Ebonyi State.
He disclosed that the State Government had already paid N100 million to the institute for the programme, describing the exercise as the first phase of a broader skills-development initiative.
The commissioner explained that although the training was initially designed to last three months, the duration had been compressed into four weeks to ensure that the beneficiaries completed the programme before Christmas.
He said the State Government would not restrict the trainees to public-sector employment, adding that qualified participants could also seek jobs in construction, transportation, agriculture and other industries that require heavy-duty equipment operators.
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According to him, the state Ministries of Works and Infrastructure and Construction could also engage some of the trained operators to support their activities.
Nwogo further stated that the current phase focused on equipment operation and safety, adding that the government would assess its outcome before determining subsequent interventions, including possible training in equipment maintenance.
He said the partnership with NITT would also help promote specialised technical training in Ebonyi, noting that the institute’s transport technology centre at Uwana in the state was not yet operating at full capacity.
The commissioner expressed optimism that the initiative would strengthen the technical capacity of Ebonyi youths, improve their employability and provide the skilled workforce needed to support the state’s growing industrial sector.
