Senator sponsors 4 Kogi candidates for NAPTIN programme

SENATOR Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman representing Kogi Central Senatorial District has taken the responsibility of footing the bills for four graduates from his constituency in the first set of the Graduate Skills Development Programme of the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN).A statement by Michael Jegede, the Senator's spokesman, indicated that the beneficiaries of the gesture included Yakubu Muhammed, Aliyu Darius, Mohammed Musa and Siaka Salami.While receiving the beneficiaries, when they came on a thank-you visit in the office of the Senator after the formal launching of the programme in Abuja, Abatemi-Usman reiterated his commitment towards human capacity building and youth empowerment.He described the programme as an opportunity for them to make history and come out with excellent results that will facilitate their placement for valuable jobs in the power sector, especially with the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).Speaking on behalf of others, one of the beneficiaries, Muhammed, a graduate of Nasarawa State Polytechnic, expressed profound gratitude to Abatemi-Usman for deeming it fit to sponsor them. He noted that out of the six participants from Kogi State, four of them were running the programme under the auspices of the Senator.The Senator is to spend N3 million for tuition fees aside other expenses for the four graduates in the programme.At the launching ceremony, Director (Business Services) of NAPTIN, Mrs Fatima Jibril, disclosed that "Statistical information gathered from PHCN successor companies, put the immediate technical manpower deficit in generation, tranmission and distribution companies to sustain the ongoing expansion and growth in the industry at about 8, 400 skilled employees, while in five years, a total of 17, 441 additional skilled technical manpower would be required. This huge gap between the actual skilled manpower and skilled manpower required is increasing annually, and there is the urgent need to arrest the trend through an intensive structured programme."On his part, Minister of Power for state, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku, said: "At the end of 12 months, a pool of employable skilled manpower would have been created for both private and public operators in the power sector. The best way to register our interest is by investing in their future now through active sponsorship and support."NAPTIN, an agency under the Federal Ministry of Power established in 2009, designed the programme, mainly for mechanical and electrical engineering graduates from the University and Polytechnic, who desire to make a career in the Nigerian power industry.
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