By John Ikani
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has tasked leaders of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide on developing skills required to eliminate factors threatening business operations in the Niger Delta region.
Executive Director, NCDMB, Engr Simbi Wabote gave the charge while unveiling a four-day training programme it initiated for new Executive Members of the IYC, Central Zone.
Wabote, who was represented by the General Manager, Corporate Communication and Zonal Coordination, Dr. Ginah Ginah, said the programme was aimed at training the members on leadership skills and to enlighten them on the purpose of NCDMB.
According to him, inculcating leadership skills in the IYC leaders and enlightening them on purpose of the NCDMB would help to create conducive atmosphere for business to operate in the region.
He said: “The Ijaw is one of the major ethnic group in the Niger Delta, all the oil export terminals are on the Ijaw territory, so given this situation if we can have a rethink where we train the executive members of the IYC Central zone on leadership skills and enlighten them on the purpose of NCDMB and the benefits that would accrue to the environment and the people, then we’ll be able to achieve more in terms of our objectives.
“IYC is the dominant youth body, so if you can get the IYC to educate the people in their area then we will have a very good and conducive environment, so we do this regularly for every executive of the IYC that comes on board and we are seeing benefits in terms of peaceful environment.
“On their own side, the communities would rapidly develop, because hindrance to doing business would be eliminated in the communities where we operate, like I said we are headquartered in Yenegoa, which is the headquarters of all the Ijaw people.”
The Central Zone Chairman of IYC, Clever Inodu, thanked the NCDMB for organizinfg the training, noting that partnership with the Board would create and sustain a peaceful atmosphere in the region, especially in Bayelsa.
