As part of its capacity building, Total says it has trained more than 150 youths in various skills this year with each of them given a starter-pack worth N200, 000.
Mr Vincent Nnadi, the Executive General Manager, Community Social Responsibility, Total Upstream Companies of Nigeria, said the beneficiaries were exposed to three months training both in Lagos and Abuja.
He said the capacity building was part of the company’s initiative to transform the society by providing employment opportunities for youths and reducing poverty.
According to him, the company’s community social responsibility is a a sustained commitment and an enduring culture of responsiveness to the needs of stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.
Nnadi, who was represented by Dr Charles Ngeribara, the General Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development, Total E&P Nigeria Ltd, said the organisation fully identified with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals numbers one and eight.
“Through our capacity development initiatives, Total is empowering as many people as possible and actively supporting nation building efforts in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals numbers one and eight.
The goals are `No Poverty, Decent Work and Economic Growth”, and with Nigeria being home to the highest number of people living below the poverty line, this need has even become more urgent.
“Total is determined to contribute to turning the tide against poverty in Nigeria.”
Prof. Godwin Chukwu, the President, Toncia Consulting and Energy Services, the facilitator of the training, said youth employment and empowerment was a must for a brighter and better future for the country.
According to him, after a close monitoring and follow-up, some of the trained youths have been invited for another training on business sustenance.
“On the whole, were able to identify 52 of them — 25 in Lagos and 27 in Abuja also sponsored by Total.
‘“The essence is to see how these participants can become employers of labour, ” he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
One of the beneficiaries, Miss Gkwaza Christiana of KC Foods, who described the opportunity as unique, said she had been empowered to be financially independent and as an employer of labour.
NAN reports that the young entrepreneurs were trained in paints production, inverter and solar systems production and installation, agriculture, web design and computer hardware installation.
Others are catering, hospitality and crafts. (NAN)
