C’River to empower 20,000 youths on creative industry, others

Описание: No fewer than 20,000 youths from Cross River are to benefit from various empowerment schemes being put together by the state Youth Empowerment Scheme.  The Chairman of the scheme, Dr Kalita Aruku, made the disclosure in an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Calabar.  Aruku asserted that the scheme is designed to empower the youth in the area of their strength and needs.  The chairman said that the scheme is built around seven thematic areas where the affected youths would be productively engaged and empowered.  He listed the areas to include creative industry, agriculture, sports, transportation, skill acquisition, small scale businesses, and education.  Kalita explained that under the agricultural scheme, youths would be trained and empowered with various agricultural produce, in addition to being provided with off-takers.  He listed poultry, piggery, fishery, and crop cultivation as the main focus in the agricultural sector, adding that the beneficiaries in the fishery section will be provided with fingerlings and some funds to start up after training, while that of poultry will be given birds and funds as well.  He added, “Perhaps, I need to add here that the beneficiaries of the fishery part will also be provided with artificial pounds and feeds.  “For the crop cultivation, our focus will be on cassava and maize because of their high demand. High yield and improved variety cassava stem will be given to the beneficiaries.  “Same thing applied for the maize in addition to engaging flour mill which will be the offtake in this regard.  In the creative industry, the chairman stated that participants would be trained in cinematography, script directing, producing, script writing, and acting.  He explained that aside from empowering the youth, this aspect of the scheme is designed to make Calabar top destination for movie production.  “We can’t be a hub for tourism without adding this aspect of the creative industry to it. Music is also part of this,” he noted  Speaking on funding, Aruku, while acknowledging the challenge, however, noted that Governor Bassey Otu is committed and passionate about the scheme.  “Of course, it may interest you to know that youth remain one of the central focus of the governor’s people first mantra,” he said.