By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
No fewer than 3,400 youths in Cross River State are to benefit from an empowerement programme initiated by a non-governmental organization, Black Diamond African Beauty Restoration Foundation, to reduce the high unemployment rate in the state.
The organisation’s Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, CEO/MD, Rev. Agbor Black-Diamond, stated this in an interactive session with journalists in Calabar at the weekend.
Speaking after a brunch organised by the management of the NGO to host potential benefiaries of the empowerement scheme at the Foyer of Cultural Center, Calabar, Agbor stated that with the scheme, many would taken out of the shackles of poverty.
Agbor said, “We have given out a total of about 3,400 forms to youths to fill. We have not demanded a dime from anyone. We are sure that all of them are certainly going to be empowered.
“Your idea is the capital, so long as the idea is authentic. The idea could be in the agricultural value chain, health, and any area of human endeavour, so long as the idea is genuine and authentic.
“If you have a project and you come up with a proposal, we asked our directors to look into it, ask some questions, once we know that it’s genuine, we ensure that you benefit from our empowerement scheme.”
On the financier of the capital-intensive programme, Agbor said, “You cannot come asking for one trillion naira, when you know that it’s not going to be possible.
“Our major pre-occupation is to pull out many from poverty. We are interested in empowering young people with lofty ideas of funding business ventures that can create employment opportunities for other.”
The CEO/MD, who claimed that the NGO has its spread within and outside Nigeria stressed that all the organisation is trying to do is to give hope to many who had lost hope, so that food can be put on their table.
