By Inusa Ndahi, Maiduguri
The North East Development Commission, NEDC, in collaboration with the Yola Electric Distribution Company, YEDC, and the Mainstream Energy Solution, as implementing partner, has organised eight weeks skill training for 60 electrical technicians – linesmen – from across the six states of the North-East.
Addressing the participants, mostly diploma holders in engineering at the NEDC headquarters on Saturday in Maiduguri, before their departure to the Mainstream Academy in Kainji, Niger State, for the training, the MD/CEO of the Commission, Mohammed Alkali Goni, noted that the unbundling of the power sector by the Federal Government and subsequent retrenchment of aged personnel of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, created a vacuum on manpower needs, especially, the skill labour, not only in the YEDC, but in the entire power distribution companies – Discos – throughout the country.
Alkali said that the commission intended to leverage on this and partner with Mainstream Academy to enhance the skills of the unemployed youths with prerequisite qualifications and fill the existing vacancies in the zone.
He said, “The NEDC, in pursuance of one of its core mandate of identifying factors inhibiting development of the zone and assist member-states and other stakeholders in the formulation of policies to ensure sound and efficient management of resources of the zone among others, collaborate with the Mainstream Academy, a subsidiary of Mainstream Energy Solution and organised skill training for 60 youth of the zone extraction – electrical technicians – on high powered installations at the Academy in Kainji, Niger State.
“At the end of the training, participants who are successful in acquiring the skills and knowledge to become professional linesmen will be retained as employees of the Yola Electric Distribution Company, YEDC.”
The NEDC boss added that over the years, the commission has been synergising with the relevant stakeholders in public and private sectors to enhance the technical skills of the unemployed youths in the North-East for employment generation and income enhancement to be self-reliant, prepare them to compete with youths of other regions to occupy their rightful positions as the country shifted its direction toward the knowledge base economy, or occupy the vacancies in the emerging industries in the zone.
He said that the commission is looking forward to further collaborations with Mainstream Energy Solution that will be beneficial for the youth and the overall development of the North-East sub region.
He urged the participants to take advantage of the commission’s kind gesture by avoiding social vices and concentrate on the training to better their lives.
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Humanitarian Affairs, NEDC, Musa Yashi, said that the programme is eight weeks intensive linesmen training for the 60 youths comprised of 50 male and 10 female, which involved two weeks classwork and six weeks practical training, adding that the Mainstream Academy would be responsible for airlifting of the participants to and fro Maiduguri Airport to the Academy’s premises in Kainji.
He admonished participants to concentrate on the training and exhibit good character devoid of all social vices during and after the training to secure their job and better their lives.
Earlier in his address, the MD/CEO of Mainstream Energy Solution, Usman Umar, appreciated NEDC for the partnership, even as he assured that all the participants would be automatically employed after successful completion of the training.
He noted that his company has been rendering corporate social responsibilities in the area of health, environment, education and empowerment initiatives within their host communities.
