…as $1,300 awaits each beneficiary
The NLNG has relaunched its empowerment scheme, which has so far lifted over 1,400 youths from host and pipeline communities in Rivers State.
This is as about 300 beneficiaries had so far achieved viable businesses from the scheme.
The relaunch took place on Monday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, where NLNG officials said the scheme had been brought back with another name.
They said it was formerly known as Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES), which was a way of spurring the growth of small businesses and youths within NLNG’s over 110 host and pipeline communities in Rivers State.
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Officials said the new scheme, now known as VIBES, is to ensure the growth and sustainability of small businesses owned and managed by previous YES beneficiaries.
Speaking at the relaunch event in Port Harcourt, Sophia Horsfall, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, said VIBES stood for Vocational, Innovation, Business, and Empowerment Scheme.
She said, “NLNG believes that entrepreneurship is not just about starting and running a business, it is about creating opportunities that uplift the communities to drive economic growth and spark positive social change.
“In line with NLNG’s vision of improving lives sustainably, VIBES is a deliberate programme to engender entrepreneurial knowledge, and the networks needed to grow entrepreneurs and change-makers in our communities.”
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The crafts are said to include automotive, advanced welding, catering and hotel management, fashion designing and cosmetology, farm management, information and communication technology, as well as photography and video production.
Horsfall, who was represented at the event by Charles Epelle, the Manager, Community Relations and Sustainable Development, said, “We believe that VIBES will foster an environment where individuals can create businesses, generate employment, and become innovators.
“This belief drives our commitment to nurturing local capacity and enabling individuals to become creators of jobs, wealth, and lasting impact”.
Speaking further, she said the programme is a modern approach to economic empowerment, which offers enhanced support through networking opportunities, grants, resources, and mentorship to help participants refine and scale up their ideas.
