By The Evangelist Newspaper | Development Report
The Eket EMOIMEE Host Community Development Trust (HCDT), operating under the NNPC/SEPLAT Joint Venture, has taken another step towards youth empowerment and economic self-reliance with the provision of starter packs and ₦500,000 each to 188 youths who completed its second skills acquisition and empowerment programme.
The initiative, which seeks to transform job seekers into job creators, was announced by retired Air Commodore Charles Usoh, the Eket Local Government Area representative on the Trust’s board, at the programme’s closing ceremony held on Friday, October 23, at Animeks Auditorium, Eket, Akwa Ibom State.
The intervention is significant at a time when unemployment and the limited availability of sustainable livelihood opportunities remain major concerns for young people. Beyond providing temporary financial assistance, the programme is designed to equip beneficiaries with practical skills, business tools and start-up capital to establish enterprises, generate income and contribute to the economic development of their communities.
According to Usoh, the 188 beneficiaries were selected from the 14 wards of Eket Local Government Area following a rigorous screening process. He explained that the programme was structured to provide participants with marketable skills in different sectors, while also creating opportunities for specialised employment in the oil and gas industry.
A breakdown of the training showed that 40 participants acquired skills in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), another 40 trained in fashion and design, while 40 received training in catering practices. Twenty beneficiaries each were trained in hairdressing and barbing, while 28 underwent mid-level oil and gas maintenance training.
Of the 28 oil and gas trainees, Usoh disclosed that 14 had completed certification in rope access, while the remaining 14 were undergoing training as corrosion engineering supervisors, with completion scheduled for December 6. He expressed confidence that the specialised training and international certification would improve their prospects of securing employment in Nigeria and beyond.
The Trust’s commitment to delivering tangible benefits to host communities, he said, was informed by the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which provides a framework for host community development through the establishment of HCDTs.
Usoh explained that lessons learned from the first edition of the programme in 2025 had informed improvements in the second edition, including the introduction of indemnity forms to strengthen beneficiaries’ commitment to the effective use of the support provided.
However, he emphasised that the success of the initiative would not be measured merely by the distribution of equipment and money, but by the ability of beneficiaries to convert the intervention into sustainable businesses and productive careers.
“Becoming an entrepreneur is not in collecting the items and the money; it lies in the use you put these items to,” he said.
To strengthen the business management capacity of the beneficiaries, Usoh announced a compulsory two-day entrepreneurship workshop scheduled for November 3 and 4. The workshop, to be facilitated by the Institute of Management Consultants, will target beneficiaries trained in ICT, catering, fashion and design, hairdressing and barbing.
The training is expected to expose participants to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, business planning, financial management and the practical demands of running sustainable enterprises. Such support is crucial because technical competence alone does not guarantee business success; the ability to manage resources, attract customers and reinvest profits is equally important.
The Paramount Ruler of Eket, His Royal Majesty Edidem E. C. D. Abia, urged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the opportunity and resist the temptation to sell their starter packs for immediate financial gain.
Describing such an action as “economic suicide,” the traditional ruler warned that the misuse of the equipment could undermine the objectives of the programme and weaken the prospects of similar interventions in the future.
The Executive Chairman of Eket Local Government Area, represented by the Vice Chairman, Mrs Inyang Akpawan, commended the Trust for investing in young people and encouraged the beneficiaries to use their newly acquired skills to contribute meaningfully to society.
Similarly, Barrister Gabriel Fan, a member of the EMOIMEE HCDT advisory committee, expressed concern over the possibility of beneficiaries mismanaging the equipment and funds. He urged them to demonstrate responsibility and justify the investment made in their future.
Other speakers, including Pastor Ita Umo, the Village Head of Atabong, His Highness Dr Ferdinand Ikwang, and a ward coordinator, Pastor Akpadiaha Udoakagha, encouraged the beneficiaries to regard the support as seed capital for long-term economic independence. They also stressed the importance of taking the entrepreneurship workshop seriously and sharing acquired knowledge with other members of their communities.
Resource persons at the ceremony described the beneficiaries as seeds of societal transformation, noting that the ultimate value of the intervention would be reflected in the businesses created, jobs generated and families supported through the opportunities provided.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Miss Theresa Emmanuel Ebong expressed gratitude to the Trust’s board for investing in their future. She pledged that the beneficiaries would use the equipment and financial support judiciously to establish sustainable businesses and become employers of labour.
BEYOND THE STARTER PACKS:
For The Evangelist, the empowerment of 188 youths represents an opportunity to address unemployment through practical skills development, entrepreneurship and community-based economic growth. Yet, the distribution of starter packs and financial support is only the beginning of the journey.
The real test will be whether the beneficiaries can translate the intervention into functioning businesses, decent livelihoods and employment opportunities for others. That outcome will require personal commitment from the trainees, effective follow-up by the Trust and sustained attention to the challenges confronting emerging entrepreneurs.
Regular monitoring, business mentorship and transparent reporting of results would help establish how many beneficiaries have successfully launched businesses, how many jobs have been created and what additional support may be needed to sustain their ventures.
The Eket EMOIMEE HCDT initiative also underscores the importance of ensuring that host community development interventions produce measurable and lasting benefits for the people they are designed to serve.
If properly managed, the programme could become more than an empowerment ceremony. It could provide a practical pathway for young people to move from dependence to productive enterprise, strengthen household incomes and contribute to the wider economic development of Eket.
Ultimately, the measure of success will not be the number of starter packs distributed or the amount of money handed out, but the number of sustainable livelihoods created and the extent to which the beneficiaries become catalysts for economic progress in their communities.
