The Rivers State Government has unveiled strategic plans to curb youth unemployment syndrome in the state.
The state Commissioner for Youth, Hon Kenneth Chisom Gbali, disclosed this when he led the management team of the ministry in continuation of the advocacy campaign visit to Asari-Toru Local Government Council on Monday.
Gbali while handing over the strategic preparedness manual christened, “A Preparedness Plan for Rivers Youth Paradigm from Unemployability to Resourcefulness”, to Asari-Toru Local Government Council chairman, said the booklet was a compendium of all the areas that Rivers State Government has outlined to embrace in order to train and empower youths in the state.
Demonstrating how the programme would be anchored, Gbali emphasised the need for ASALGA youths to prepare themselves to participate in the trainings outlined by the state government as to become independent through learning more skills that would project them to have multiple streams of income to face the harsh global economic challenges.
“The limit of our realisation today begins with us”, he said.
According to the commissioner, the geometrical and arithmetical nature in the country can only be confronted through acquiring modern skills, and called on Rivers youths and Kalabari youths in particular to wake up and prepare themselves to key into the opportunity provided by the ministry.
He averred that Kalabari kingdom was noted as the centre of Ancient Civilization in the state, and urged them not to be deterred by the challenges caused by parental, community and environmental factors but focus towards acquiring more skills to be self-reliant.
He also used the opportunity to inform Kalabari youths that vocational centres would be built in the three senatorial districts in the state to train the youths in focal areas of ICT, Artificial Intelligence, content creation and entrepreneurship.
“To achieve all noble objective, the ministry will engage international partners to assist the youths achieve this goal,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, the Asari-Toru Local Government Council Chairman, Hon Onengiyeofori George, praised the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and the commissioner, Ministry of Youth Development, Hon Chisom Kenneth Gbali for their gesture to carry Rivers youths along in the administration for the consolidation agenda in the state.
George said the inclusion of the youths in the 23 local government areas through ICT, vocational and entrepreneurship training would cushion the effects of unemployment and youth restiveness in the state.
The council boss thanked the commissioner for reaching out to the youth and less privileged in the area, adding that the message of the governor would give hope and motivate the LGA to prepare ahead of the training.
According to him, this campaign by the Ministry of Youth Development shows that the Commissioner, Dr Chisom Gbali cares for the youths in the state.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth Development, Dr Rowland Obed-Whyte, described Gbali as a pragmatic and best performing commissioner in the state.
He disclosed that the ministry was in the area to thank the chairman for his ability to sponsor Kalabari youths for International Youth Summit in Accra, Ghana, adding that the chairman was the first among the 23 local government council chairmen, to maintain the rules of Community-Based Youth Groups by registering 13 youth bodies out of 15 operating in the LGA, thereby make it possible for them to respond rapidly on any issue concerning the youths in Asari-Toru LGA.
Obed-Whyte, said Rivers State Ministry of Youth Development has the vision to take adequate care of the youth, adding that “This is why the ministry decided to have different departments like, Network & Social Mobilization, Education & Counseling, Enterprise Development & Promotion and Planning, Research and Statistics to meditate and respond to any issue concerning the welfare of the youths.”
The climax of the event was an award by the youths to the commissioner.

By: Akujobi Amadi