As part of its commitment to reducing poverty and reducing youth unemployment in the Niger Delta, the Foundation for Partnerships Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), is holding a special ceremony to disburse grants to the 66 winners of its Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) project’s Start-Up Business Challenge Fund. The event will hold on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at PIND’s Economic Development Centre (EDC) in Warri Delta State.
Almost 650 young people participated in the second phase of the YEP-facilitated vocational and soft skills training in Delta State. They received training in various sectors, including agriculture, construction, information communication technology (ICT), and services. One hundred eighty-five received further training in entrepreneurship and mentorship on starting a business and accessing funds, such as from NIRSAL Microfinance Bank and through PIND’s finance intermediation partner, Sombreirio Kapital.
YEP launched its Challenge Fund in February 2023 to ease the transition to entrepreneurship, and 178 trainees applied for the short-term funds. The applications were processed, and 66 emerged successful for the awards, 60 as individual businesses and six as part of two cohorts of three persons each. All successful applicants would receive their awards at the ceremony.
PIND’s Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) project was created in 2018 as a model for youth training. The pilot phase, which was then known as the Niger Delta Youth Employment Pathways (NDYEP), was funded by the Ford Foundation and implemented in Abia, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers States. In 2021, PIND expanded the project to Delta State, where it was called the Delta Youth Employment Pathways (DYEP) project and was funded by PIND. The 631 youths enrolled for the project completed their training in 2022. Over five hundred immediately gained employment, secured an apprenticeship, or started their enterprise.
As the project continues to grow and be successful, PIND has set a goal to implement it in all nine Niger Delta States by 2024.
The Foundation for Partnerships Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) is a Nigerian non-profit organization working to promote peace and equitable economic growth in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region by forging multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder partnerships at the regional, national, and international levels. PIND works closely with numerous partners to implement collaborative market-based, community-owned programs to mitigate conflicts and boost economic opportunities for local businesses, ensuring that economic progress occurs in a systemic, inclusive, and sustainable manner. Since 2010, PIND and partners have strengthened and stabilized Niger Delta communities by reducing poverty, powering coastal communities, nurturing employment, fostering stability, and enabling development.
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Learn more about PIND’s Advocacy and Capacity Building work in the Niger Delta
I would like to say thanks for all you do to ameliorate the hardship of the common man in Nigeria. Graduates are out of school and no jobs. I left school 13 years ago yet no job to show for it. I have my LLB and LLM but couldn’t secure a job in my state with all the qualifications. I started my own business and was told that if i don’t register it ,I won’t get loans or grants. That I have done but all to no avail. This is a welcome development and a big congratulations to all the beneficiaries. Pind foundation , Thank u for taking youths off the streets.