“True leadership is giving people a cause and reason for living and sense of significance that gives meaning to their lives so that they have sense of
belonging” – Myles Munroe.
The Hydro Power Producing Development Commission (HYPPADEC) under the leadership of Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, its Managing Director, has stopped at nothing to make sure that youth, which constitute more than 60 percent of Nigeria’s population, are given their pride of place through appropriate vocational and skill acquisition to prepare them for the future.
HYPPADEC has not relented in making women and youth more relevant as it has placed them on the front burner through its various training programmes. More than 600 youth and women have benefitted from the commission’s skill acquisition programmes. According to Sadiq-Yelwa, HYPPADEC will give support to 30,000 indigent Nigerians within the commission’s operational areas with palliatives to develop their businesses.
Sadiq-Yelwa made this known while inaugurating a 3-day training of trainers (TOT) workshop on youth transformation programme (YTP) in addition to the 6,000 youths that are going to be trained under the programme. The 30,000 indigent Nigerians within the HYPPADEC will be empowered to develop their businesses. “The management and governing council of the commission has approved the payment of N30,000 per month to each of the youth that would participate in the programme,” the managing director said at the event.
The Director, Community and Rural Development, HYPPADEC, Dr Muhammed Muhammed, said under the YTP, the commission plans to train 5,000 youths on skill acquisition but later increased the figure to 6000 to accommodate another 1,000 slots for non-indigenes resident within the HYPPADEC states. The trainees are to be given start-up packs to help them develop their businesses or start a new one.
The Director General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Dr Abubakar Fikpo,
urged the trainers and the trainees to take the exercise serious for meaningful impacts on their lives with the promise that the NDE will continue to give them the guide and the necessary steps to succeed.
The HYPPADEC boss believes that reaching out to those in need plays a great role in stabilising the society and borrowing from the word of John F. Kennedy, a former President of the United States of America, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it can’t save the few who are rich”. It is in this direction that HYPPADEC has entered into a partnership with a private developer to provide succour for those whose houses have been affected by flood. The commission has made life comfortable by building resettlement homes for flood communities across the six HYPPADEC states; Niger Kogi, Kebbi, Benue, Kwara and Plateau.
The partnership saw the flag off of the programme with the construction of two rescue villages in each of the six states of HYPPADEC as a pilot scheme that will see to it being replicated in the six HYPPADEC states. The programme termed “Rescue village” would see to the construction of a modern settlement for these affected communities across the six states of HYPPADEC.
The commission has concluded arrangements to construct a total of 200 housing units in Muregi and in Ketso communities in Mokwa local government area of Niger state with a view of easing the suffering of the people displaced by flood. The project is expected to be flagged off by Niger state governor in two weeks time. This is part of the commission’s resettlement project for communities displaced by flood.
This is in addition to earlier inaugurated HYPPADEC/NEW APPROACH partnership to provide make-shift place for flood victims and other internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by annual flooding and banditry.
The Rescue Village scheme which was launched in Shiroro local government area of Niger state, one of the local government areas which suffered flood disaster and bandits attack in recent time with over 20,000 people displaced from their homes and urgently in dire need of shelter.
The rescue villages would serve as second home for the affected people in the event of flood or bandits attack and would be equipped with necessary social amenities such as potable water, hospital, schools among other facilities, and would go a long way in reducing the suffering of the people in the affected communities. And in appreciation of the wonderful initiatives of the commission on skills acquisition and vocational training, major fire wood sellers within the host communities of HYPPADEC states are ready to switch their firewood businesses to vocational training.
In conclusion, with the various initiatives and giant strides so far put in place under the dynamic leadership of Sadiq Yelwa and the team spirit being exhibited among the management and staff, it means the host communities in HYPPADEC states are enjoying a new lease of life. Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, had during the launch of HYPPADEC Corporate Head Office on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, said, “The take off of HYPPADEC has brought lots of relief to the riverine communities in the six states affected by activities of hydro-dams and ecological degradation.”
A great team player, the HYPADDEC helmsman believes in Mike Murdock’s school of thought that says, “As in every team work is not the role that matters, but the goal to be achieved.”
Fatai is a former President, Kwara State Students, University of Abuja
