The Eket EMOIMEE Host Community Development Trust has committed ₦94 million in cash support to 188 youths, alongside business starter packs, under its second skills acquisition and empowerment programme designed to promote self-employment and reduce dependence on paid jobs.
Each beneficiary is to receive ₦500,000 and starter equipment following the completion of training in selected vocational and technical fields under the NNPC/SEPLAT Joint Venture-supported initiative.
The support was announced by retired Air Commodore Charles Usoh, the trust’s board representative for Eket Local Government Area, at the programme’s closing ceremony held on Friday, October 23, at Animeks Auditorium, Eket.
Usoh said the 188 beneficiaries were selected from the 14 wards of Eket Local Government Area after a screening exercise.
He said the programme covered Information and Communication Technology, fashion and design, catering, hairdressing, barbing and oil and gas maintenance.
According to the breakdown, 40 participants trained in ICT, 40 in fashion and design, 40 in catering, 20 in hairdressing and another 20 in barbing, while 28 underwent mid-level oil and gas maintenance training.
Of the oil and gas trainees, 14 had completed certification in rope access, while the remaining 14 were undergoing training in corrosion engineering supervision, scheduled to end on December 6.
Usoh said the technical certifications were expected to improve participants’ prospects in the oil and gas industry, including opportunities outside Nigeria.
He explained that lessons from the programme’s first edition in 2025 informed changes to the second phase, including the introduction of indemnity forms to reinforce beneficiaries’ commitment to using the support for its intended purpose.
He also announced a compulsory two-day entrepreneurship workshop for beneficiaries trained in ICT, catering, fashion and design, hairdressing and barbing. The workshop, scheduled for November 3 and 4, will be facilitated by the Institute of Management Consultants.
Usoh said vocational skills and start-up equipment alone would not guarantee business success without proper management and productive use of the resources provided.
“The starter packs and N500,000 will be given to all beneficiaries today,” he said.
The Paramount Ruler of Eket, Edidem E. C. D. Abia, urged the beneficiaries to use the equipment and funds to establish sustainable businesses, warning that selling the starter packs would undermine the purpose of the intervention.
The Executive Chairman of Eket Local Government Area, represented by the Vice Chairman, Mrs Inyang Akpawan, commended the trust for investing in youth development and urged the beneficiaries to contribute to the local economy.
A member of the trust’s advisory committee, Barrister Gabriel Fan, also cautioned against the misuse of the support, stressing the need for accountability and responsible management.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Miss Theresa Emmanuel Ebong thanked the trust’s board and pledged that the recipients would use the resources to build viable businesses and create employment opportunities.
The programme forms part of the host community development framework under the Petroleum Industry Act, which provides for development trusts to support communities affected by petroleum operations.
The success of the intervention will depend on whether beneficiaries can convert the training, equipment and cash support into functioning businesses that generate sustainable income and employment.
