Ministry of Youth Development - ANSIPPA Collaboration Set to Open up Massive Job Spaces For Anambra Youths

The Anambra State Ministry of Youth Development and the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA), has agreed to collaborate in exploring the advantage of the recent inflow of investments into the state to open up massive job spaces for the youths of Anambra State.

This agreement which is in line with the "One Government - One Agenda" philosophy of the present administration of Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, was reached during the visit of the Commissioner for Youth Development Patrick Agha Mba, to the Managing Director of ANSIPPA, Mark Okoye.

The Commissioner for Youth Development, who was accompanied by some members of the management team and technical committee of the ministry, stated that the key objective of the visit was to present the programmes of the Ministry for possible areas of partnership with the private sector, which ANSIPPA could assist in facilitating.

While commending ANSIPPA for the huge successes already recorded in attracting notable investors to Anambra State in line with the vision of Mr Governor, he called for synergy between the Ministry and the Agency as the Ministry has a database of over 200,000 Anambra youths seeking for job opportunities. He stated that the quickest way to achieve Mr. Governor's goal of "Jobs, Jobs and Quality Jobs" is through the establishment of linkages between the young job seekers in the state and companies, especially the ones that are investing newly in the state.

Among the programmes of the ministry presented to ANSIPPA were the 1 Youth 2 Skills Solution, which is targeted at raising smart entrepreneurs as well as the Job-kickstart Solution Initiative, which the commissioner described as a means of bridging the gap between job seekers and employers of labour, in addition to making our graduates employable through necessary orientation and internship.

He commended the level of competence and commitment of the Managing Director of ANSIPPA and thanked him for his support to the programmes of Youths.

Responding, the Managing Director ANSIPPA Dr. Mark Okoye, commended the Governor and Commissioner for the new youth development system, which is a complete deviation from normal government empowerment programmes. He described the 1 Youth 2 Skills programme and the empowerment of 5000 youths to the tune of N2b as unprecedented in the history of the state. He stated that the agency is highly aware of the local content policy of the present administration and, hence will work with the Ministry of Youth Development to ensure that the youths of Anambra State were provided with adequate and timely information as well as support during recruitments by companies that are being attracted to the state. He called on the need for skill acquisition in the tourism sector, especially now that the government is investing a lot in the Leisure Park and Five Star Hotel as well as other areas of tourism and hospitality.

The Meeting was attended by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth Development, Mrs. Chito Osili; Special Assistant to Governor on Youth Development, Engr. Emeka Tony Omatah; ED - ANSIPPA

Ejike Osisioma; Chief of Staff to MD ANSIPPA Chinedu Onyike; Congo Ajekwu, HOD Public Private Partnership (PPP) ANSIPPA; Executive Assistant to Governor on Youth Development, Mr. Chibuzor Udeh, and the Media Team of the Ministry of Youth Development.