By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) is set to train and empower a total of 60,000 skilled and unskilled youths in Kwara state within the next five years.
In the same vein, the Commission would provide 250 housing units to those displaced by flood from riverine communities in the state.
The proposals were contained in HYPPADEC’s Medium Term Strategic Plan (HMTSP) 2022- 2027 presented at a stakeholders forum in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
Presenting the plan during the stakeholders meeting, HYPPADEC’s Consultant, Sam Juwl, said: “The 60,000 youths will be trained within the next five years to take them out of poverty.
“While non-graduates will be trained in vocations such as tailoring, paintings, among others, graduates on the other hand will be trained in advanced skills including ICT, installation of circuit camera television (CCTV) devices,
solar panels installations, among others.”
In his contribution, HYPPADEC’s Managing Director, Abubakar Yelwa, disclosed that the Commission has gotten the approval of its Governing Board to provide 250 houses to people displaced by flood from riverine communities in the state.
He, however, decried lack of compliance by generating companies in all the six HYPPADEC States in the payment of their dues to the Commission.
He said: “If not for the grace and support of the Governors of the six HYPPADEC States, HYPADEC offices would have closed by now because what is due to HYPADEC from generating companies had never been paid to HYPPADEC to date.
“In fact, some of them are even arguing and trying to see that there is no justification in paying what is due to be paid to support these communities. Some of them are arguing that they should be allowed to work it out on their own, which should not be the case.”
Earlier in his address, Chairman Governing Council of HYPPADEC, Barrister Joseph Ityav, had stated that the essence of the meeting was to have stakeholders’ inputs into the proposed plan with a view to ensuring that its implementation was carried out according to the needs assessment of the communities.
Kwara state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Mamman Shaaba Jibril, called for the dredging of River Niger to put an end to the perennial flood wreaking havoc across the country, particularly riverine areas.