The North East Development Commission (NEDC), has begun a one-week training for 150 youths on waste management and recycling skills to improve their living condition in Gombe State.
Malam Adamu Lawan, NEDC’s Head, Environment and Natural Resources, stated this at the inauguration of the exercise on Monday in Gombe.
He said the exercise was designed to create job opportunities and empower the youths in line with the Commission’s manndate to provide intervention towards improving the wellbeing of people in the North-East region.
Lawan said the waste-to-wealth initiative focused at creating employment opportunities, enhance wealth creation, address pollution, degradation and other environment challenges,
According to him, the Commission is adopting strategies to convert huge wastes into something useful as a resources or products.
He explained that 150 youths would be trained comprising 100 waste collectors and 50 trainers, adding that Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) would bd provided to the trainees.
Lawan said the Commission accorded pririoty to the health of youths, hence the donation of the PPEs to protect them while they carry out their activities.
The NEDC official said the commission would set up a recycling plant in the state to cater for the waste generated across the local government areas of the state.
On his part, NEDC Focal person in Gombe State, Shehu Ibrahim said the training was a partnership between NEDC and the Gombe State Government aimed at providing job opportunities for youths to become self-reliant.
Ibrahim urged the participants to take the training seriously to enable them to engage in productive activities and become employers of labour.
He commended the state government and other stakehokders for their efforts towards making the youths self-reliant.
Also, Ishaku Kure, Director of Environment, Gombe State Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources, described the training exercise as beneficial to the environment and humankind.
One of the trainees, Vesta Tuka also described the training as relevant in view of the availability of the raw materials and wealth potentials in wastes.
Tuka commended NEDC and the state government for the initiative aimed at empowering youths to become self-reliant. (NAN)
