FG plans industrial clusters to absorb amnesty programme graduates

The federal government says it will establish industrial clusters to complement the ongoing amnesty programme in the Niger Delta region.

The nine states in the Niger Delta region are Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Abia, Imo, and Ondo.

Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta Affairs, made this known on Friday during his visit to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) headquarters in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers state.

He said the industrial clusters will absorb thousands of youths who graduate from the amnesty programme.

“All the nine Niger Delta states will have the industrial clusters that can absorb between 1,000 and 2,000 youths with different skills,” he said.

The minister said the arrangement for the industrial clusters in the region will be provided in the 2020 budget of the NDDC.

He said the ministry and the NDDC will work together to make it a reality.

“We are going to provide for this in the 2020 budget of the NDDC. The Ministry and the Commission will collaborate to realize this goal,” he said.

The Nigerian Diaspora Professionals Forum (NDPF) recently commended President Muhammadu Buhari for what was described as a determined effort to sustain the amnesty programme to improve security and stability in the Niger Delta.