All is now set for the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) to broker a strategic partnership with the National Power Training Institute (NAPTIN) to build the capacity of Niger Delta youths, especially ex-agitators, in power related matters.
A statement made available by Freston Akpor, media aide to the PAP Interim Administrator, informed that under the plan, the PAP will complete, equip and handover its vocational training center at Bomadi, Delta State to NAPTIN to run as a full-fledged training institution to provide manpower for the power sub-sector.
The partnership was brokered on Wednesday as the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Maj. Gen. Barry Ndiomu (rtd), paid a courtesy visit to the NAPTIN Director-General, Ahmed Bolaji Nagode, in Abuja.
General Ndiomu explained that the visit was a prelude to working out the modalities in setting up a committee to prepare a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in preparation for early take-off of the partnership.
The Interim Administrator noted that the “various vocational training centers in Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Rivers states are spring boards to re-write the socio-economic narrative of the Niger Delta”.
He emphasized that Presidential Amnesty Programme being the driver of the initiative, needs to be properly guided in the processes of completion, provision of equipment and accreditation of the centre at Bomadi.
General Ndiomu noted that NAPTIN “has trained over 15,000 persons with training centers spread across the country, makes it the institution of choice for the strategic partnership”.
Responding, the NAPTIN DG commended the PAP boss for the initiative, and for being futuristic in his thinking, bearing in mind that the Amnesty Programme will not last forever.
“This collaboration is in the interest of youths in the Niger Delta and NAPTIN is ready to collaborate with PAP in creating a teaching institute to build their capacity in diverse fields in the power sub sector,” Nagode stated.
He reassured the PAP team of NAPTIN’s readiness to kick start the partnership following the constitution of a high level committee comprising officials of both agencies to articulate and harmonize the ideas to birth an MoU for take off.
