By Onyinyechi Nwankwo
Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodinma on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Adm. Hon. Willie T.C. Okolieogwo, has described the flag-off of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI) Phase 2 in Imo state as a transformative milestone for youths in the state.
The event which held at the Federal Secretariat, Owerri, last Thursday, was organized by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to provide training and opportunities that will reduce joblessness and promote self-reliance.
Okolieogwo represented Governor Uzodinma as the Special Guest of Honour at the event.
He reaffirmed that the governor remains deeply committed to youth empowerment through skills training, vocational support, and entrepreneurship development.
The SA pointed to the Skill-Up Imo programme, through which over 5,000 young people were trained in digital skills and equipped with tools, as strong evidence of Uzodinma’s human capital development agenda.
The former Chairman of Oru West Local Government and immediate past State Chairman of ALGON further explained that beneficiaries of RHEI Phase 2 will undergo training in vocational skills, agriculture, entrepreneurship, ICT, and public works, preparing them to contribute meaningfully to both state and national development.
Commending the trainees for their orderliness, he urged them to remain diligent, honest, and disciplined, stressing that their success would not only benefit them personally but also inspire the governor to expand youth-focused programmes.
“They are going to be deployed to various establishments of both state and federal governments. Governor Uzodinma is very much interested in training and empowering youths meaningfully. I advise you to remain peaceful, transparent, and focused to succeed”, Okolieogwo said.
Also speaking, the Director General of the NDE, Salas Ali Agara, represented by the State Coordinator, Lady Nonye Ohanwe, noted that 41 participants will be trained in over 30 different skills, cutting across agriculture, vocational trades, entrepreneurship, and ICT.
The Director of Labour and Employment, Dr. Luke Nwanekwe Ijezie, advised young people to actively embrace government programmes and engage in productive ventures such as agriculture and trading to secure their future.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Peter Udo of Oru West LGA pledged that the trainees would remain focused, acquire the needed skills, and become productive citizens.
He thanked the state government for its unwavering commitment to youth empowerment.
