The Igbo-Eze South Local Government Council, under the leadership of the Executive Chairman and Deputy Chairman of ALGON in Enugu State, Barr. Ugo Ferdinand Ukwueze, has once again intensified its youth development drive as it flagged off a comprehensive employability and entrepreneurship programme designed to equip young people with modern workplace skills and reduce unemployment across the area.
The initiative, titled ‘The Jobberman Free Soft Skills and Employability Training Phase II’, is a collaboration between the council and the Rural Engagement and Development Foundation (REDFOUNDATION). It commenced on Thursday, 14th May 2026 at Ovoko Social Club Hall, Ajuona, covering three wards; Ajuona, Umulolo and Umuelo ward, and is targeted at entrepreneurs and jobseekers aged 18 to 35, with training scheduled to run concurrently across all 16 wards of the local government area until 30 June 2026. The programme, which commenced yesterday in Ovoko community, continued today, while the grand finale and concluding training sessions are scheduled to be held tomorrow.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Mayor Ukwueze who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Odo Anthony, said the programme aligns with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the economic transformation agenda of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of Enugu State. He emphasized that the administration has consistently prioritised human capital development as a core pillar of governance in the local government. He also called on interested individuals within the community to take advantage of the ongoing training and participate actively in the programme.
This latest intervention builds on a series of earlier empowerment and skills development programmes executed by the council. These include the Jobberman Free Soft Skills and Employability Training Phase I, the Youths Training Initiative on Ethical Artificial Intelligence Skills that equipped 500 youths in Enugu North Senatorial Zone with AI skills, the One-Youth-One-Skill Programme, designed to provide practical vocational skills to youths across all wards, and strategic collaborations with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to strengthen vocational and technical training opportunities in the area. The council has also previously implemented the Bursary, Tech and Agro Empowerment Programme, which supported thousands of youths with educational bursaries, ICT training, and agribusiness development support. In addition, through partnership-driven initiatives such as soft skills and employability training programmes implemented with development organisations, hundreds of youths, particularly young women have been trained and linked to employment opportunities, while others have benefited from sponsored vocational training in trades such as fashion design, hairdressing, baking, and confectioneries.
According to the chairman, the continuous rollout of such programmes reflects a deliberate strategy to build a self-reliant youth population. “Our goal is to ensure that no youth in Igbo-Eze South is left behind in the digital economy. We are not just giving them fish; we are teaching them how to fish by providing the soft skills that top-tier employers demand,” he said.
The current programme offers participants several post-training benefits, including a MasterCard Foundation-recognised soft skills certificate, access to zero-interest loans and business grants, sponsored vocational enrolment, educational support such as scholarships and JAMB registration assistance, as well as welfare tools like mobile phones and power banks to support digital learning.
The initiative has been widely described as one of the most ambitious grassroots empowerment interventions in the state, with strong turnout recorded across the 16 wards. Community leaders also commended the council for sustaining a consistent pattern of empowerment programmes and for decentralising development initiatives to reach rural communities directly.
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