NCDMB/Kalase Farms Poultry Training Programme

Youth entrepreneurship has become a priority for the development agenda of many countries that are faced with the challenge of youth bulge and unemployment. The Niger Delta, with its abundant deposit of fossil fuels, has been ravaged by vices such as youth restiveness, wide scale unemployment, poor infrastructural development etc. However, the availability of a relatively land mass area provides huge agricultural potential in the Niger Delta and therefore provides NCDMB with the impetus to train youths in the region to embrace agriculture and other small and medium enterprises (SMEs).For this purpose, the Board has teamed up with Kalase Farms Limited, a leading agricultural and project management company, to train a total of 50 youths in Poultry farming.

The Objective Of The Training

• promote entrepreneurship development in the agro supply chain,
• promote sustainable livelihood,
• promote youth empowerment and economic productivity, and diversify the local economy of the region.

The programme is designed across 4 stages of land acquisition and site preparation, civil works and construction of layer and broiler pens/cages, training of 25 farmers each in layers and broilers poultry farming management and provision of starter packs for all 50 trainees at the end of their training. It is expected that the programme will facilitate rapid, even and sustainable development by building an economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful region.

Training Programme For Joint National Association Of Persons With Disabilities

In Nigeria, an estimated 20 million people have various forms of physical disability. They have physical problems that make it difficult to find work and hold a job. Some of the disabled end up on city streets, asking strangers for help. In line with our mandate to develop capacity, the Board has always been on the forefront of engendering inclusiveness in our efforts to transform the human capital landscape of our country. In this regard, the Executive Secretary conceived the training of fifty (50) members from the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JNAPD) in various Entrepreneurship skill areas such as Fish Farming, Fashion and Design, Hair Dressing and Barbing.

The Objective Of The Training

The objective is to train male and female physically challenged persons in vocational skills that can translate to a source of livelihood and increase number of physically challenged persons that are self-reliant. This training will harness their potentials and promote the growth of local participation for people with disability in the economic activities of the country

NCDMB Project BrentPlus Innovation Initiative

In furtherance to our vision to be the catalyst for the industrialization of the Nigerian economy, the Board has unveiled project BrentPlus, which is essentially a programme designed to stimulate innovation and technological development in the oil and gas industry and other sectors of the economy. Project BrentPlus will serve as a platform for triggering development of innovative local technologies which will address societal challenges especially as it concerns the oil and gas industry and ancillary sectors of the economy.

The project will have four series of events which include Problems Definition, Call for Innovation, Nigerian Oil and Gas Technology Hackathon, Incubation. The Board will then initiate collation of various challenges facing the industry, pick out the most pressing challenges and call for innovations from interested teams with ideas, prototypes, solutions and relevant experiences, after which the applications will be reviewed by judges and a few shortlisted for the next step. The next step would be engagement between the selected teams and the industry to fully understand the challenges and revalidate solutions being proposed. Five winning innovators from the Hackathon will get $10,000 equity-free grant each. They will also get workspace, expert mentors, global partners, and unprecedented market access over three-months, ensuring they become commercial and investor-ready.

Criteria for eligibility:

1. Participants must be a team/company of at least two or more members with at least 75 percent of the founding team as Nigerians.
2. The team/company must be a registered or intending to register as a profit/business entity.
3. The solution described in response to the challenge must be driven by digital technology- Software, Hardware, or both.
4. The solution must either be at idea stage, prototype level or a launched solution that hasn’t gained commercial traction.
5. The team must be available to participate in a three-day hackathon as well as a three-month incubation if selected.

 Renovation and Upgrade of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Centres

In 2018 the Board commenced the study of Technical and Vocational Education Training Centres (TVETs) across the three states of Akwa – Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers as part of its strategy to address the paucity of skilled labour at the technician and operational levels of the oil and gas industry and other sectors of the economy. The objective of the study was to understand factors hindering their performance and explore strategies for addressing these challenges. In accordance with recommendations of the study, the Board commenced the structured renovation and upgrade of TVETs as part of its Special Projects on Institutional Enhancement Initiatives in strategic locations across the country. The special Projects intervention on institutional strengthening is anchored on the principles of development and sustainability. The focus on vocational and technical schools is to achieve the following:

1. Develop pipeline of technicians that will drive the socio-economic growth aspirations of the Federal Government at the grass root
2. Deploy vocational training as a veritable tool for job creation
3. Support local communities where schools are domiciled with facilities for training as a means of engaging youths in productive endeavours
4. Augment funding and sustainability of technical schools at the sub-national level

Two (2) schools – Vocational and Technical College, Amoli, Enugu State and Government Technical College, Abak, Akwa-ibom State are current beneficiaries of the pilot scheme of the initiative.

• Government Technical College (GTC), Abak, Akwa – Ibom State

GTC, Abak, established 50 years ago, is located in Abak LGA of Akwa-Ibom state. With a build capacity of 5000 students, the school lacks adequate maintenance thereby leading to widespread dilapidation of its buildings, completely deteriorated learning aids and equipment etc. In a bid to stimulate performance, The Board decided to initiate the renovation of the technical building block housing the welding & metal fabrication and carpentry/joinery workshops. The scope of the ongoing intervention in the school includes the renovation of the technical workshop block and provision of equipment for the carpentry/joinery workshop. The second phase of the intervention will include renovation and upgrade of the science laboratories and more workshops such as the building technology workshop.

• Vocational and Technical College (VTC) Amoli, Enugu State

VTC Amoli is located in Ituku Ozalla, Amoli in Awgu LGA in Enugu State. The school offers trades such as electrical maintenance and installation, welding and fabrication, carpentry, and joinery etc. VTC Amoli shares similar challenges being faced by the other TVETs studied such as dilapidated structures, inadequate classrooms, lack of access to portable water, rusty and nonfunctional workshop equipment and inadequate instructors/teachers. Arising from the challenge of inadequate number of classrooms and poorly equipped workshops, some of the workshops are also being used as classrooms thereby leading to further deterioration. In a bid to address some of these challenges, the Board has set out to renovate the principal’s office and staff room, a workshop block housing 5 workshops, and provision of equipment for the welding and fabrication workshop. New facilities such as four toilets and two bathrooms, a gate house and school perimeter fencing were also constructed. To enhance hygiene and access to clean portable water, a bore hole and water storage system were also provided; to be powered by two diesel powered generators already installed. The Board has also taken proactive steps to protect government’s investment in these institutions by commencing the development of a sustainability framework for the schools. The sustainability framework when completed will be used to administer strategies for enhancing the long-term performance of installed infrastructure and facilities.

Renovation of Main Building at Community Primary School (CPS) 1, Okpoama,Brass LGA, Bayelsa State.

In January 2020, the Board commenced the renovation of Community Primary School (CPS) 1, located at Okpoama in Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. A needs assessment conducted to the school revealed the area of urgent need of the school to be the main admin block. The scope of this phase of the project is to renovate and provide furniture and appliances for the main building which houses the staff room, principal’s office, and some classrooms. The decision to commence the phased renovation by starting with the main admin building is due to the pivotal role it plays in improving the overall wellbeing of staff and students and the general learning environment. Upon completion of the project, the Board hopes to