The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has trained and empowered a total of 180 young people in various entrepreneurship skills in Adamawa.
Director General of the agency Dr Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this during the graduation and presentation of equipment to the beneficiaries on Wednesday in Yola.
Aliyu who was represented by Mr Huck Kaduni, Director Special Duty NACA said that the empowerment programs was organized and funded by the agency.
The Director General said that the empowerment scheme was designated by the agency as a pilot project in five states including Lagos, Nassarawa, Kano, Adamawa and Enugu.
“The core objective of the empowerment scheme is to empower young people through entrepreneur training and equip them with tools to start their own businesses for self-reliance.
“The mission of the scheme is to reduce idleness among the youths and engage them in businesses to bring them out of negative tendency.
“The beneficiaries are not HIV/AIDS carriers, they are ordinary young citizens who were given opportunity to participate in the program,’’ Aliyu said.
He said that in each of the five beneficial states 180 youths from two local government areas (LGAs) each were carefully selected.
According to the Director General, the statistics available showed that HIV/AIDS was more prevalence among young people between ages 18 and 35 years.
He noted that the training of the youths in different skills would help them improve their livelihood and support their parents and relatives.
He said that the two selected local government areas for the pilot project include Hong and Gombi LGAs.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Ms Zahra Ibrahim, a participant from Gombi local government, area commended NACA for the opportunity and the equipment. Ibrahim who received training on hair dressing assured the agency that they would not sell the equipment and would judiciously work and maintain the equipment.