The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has flagged off a four-month skills development programme for 150 youths in Abia State.
The programme, tagged “An Artisan Training on Building Projects”, is sponsored by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and facilitated by Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL), with support from Kalu’s office.
Kalu, who flagged off the training in Bende, said the initiative was aimed at equipping youths with practical knowledge and globally recognised certificates.
Of the 150 beneficiaries, 130 youths were drawn from the 13 political wards of Bende Local Government Area following the intervention of the Deputy Speaker.
Abia and Enugu are the two South-East states selected for the pilot phase of the programme, which runs from August to November 2026.
Kalu commended President Bola Tinubu, AfDB and FHFL for supporting youth focused inityouth-focusedng Nigeria’s youthful population remained a major national asset.
“This initiative won’t be possible without the help of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is the one who has energised Family Home to begin to scout for youths who will be equipped for the future,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker urged the beneficiaries to remain committed to the training, warning them to resist any temptation to drop out.
He disclosed that certificates issued at the end of the programme would be valid nationally and internationally, adding that job placements had been arranged for qualifying participants.
“The youths are the energy of the nation. The more we equip them, the better we build the nation. If we abandon them, we abandon our future,” Kalu said.
A representative of FHFL, Builder Ugwueri John said the programme was designed to reduce youths’ dependence on white collar jobs white-collar them with skills capable of driving economic growth.
Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Kalu Chinedu Peter and Dabara Samuel Fumilayo thanked the Deputy Speaker for bringing the initiative to Bende.
The organisers said the training would be implemented in phases to accommodate more interested youths.
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