No fewer than 436 vulnerable youths in the FCT have acquired new skills and start-up kits from the Youth Entrepreneurship Development and Empowerment Scheme (YEDES), an initiative of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja.

The annual programme, implemented by the Justice, Development and Peace Caritas Initiative (JDPCI), an agency of the Catholic Church, features training in fashion, catering, poultry/fish farming, artificial intelligence (AI) robotics, and cybersecurity.

Other programmes include inverter installation, graphic design, and web/application development, among others.

Through the programme since its inception in 2022, beneficiaries have received items such as ovens, gas cylinders, chicks and poultry feeds, and sewing machines, among others, as start-up kits.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2025 edition, the executive director of JDPCI, Sebastian Sanni, urged the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of JDPCI and her sponsor, the Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

Mr Sanni urged the youths to be agents of change and transformation in their various communities by sharing the knowledge they have acquired with other youths.

“Take time to build; if you want to go far, do not look for shortcuts. If you look for a shortcut, the shortcut will cut you short.

“Please take time to build. I have confidence in all of you that you will succeed. Go out there, be confident in yourself and be confident in what you do.

“I also want to make a very passionate appeal that after now, get a business name and register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and get a complimentary card,” he said.

Mr Sanni called for partnership with the government, saying that meaningful development can be achieved when there is partnership between the state and the church which is closest to the people.

Also speaking, the programme’s director of JDPCI, Timothy Ejeh, said that the programme was designed to strengthen the skills and financial security of vulnerable youths within Abuja with a focus on creating sustainable livelihoods and reducing poverty-driven vulnerabilities.

“I am proud to announce that, to date, we have empowered more than 436 youths across our archdiocese. In this fourth phase alone, we trained over 56 youths from four deaneries of the eight deaneries in the Archdiocese of Abuja.

“They were in agro-entrepreneurship, catering services and fashion design, equipping them with essential skills that will not only sustain them but transform them into wealth creators.

“One of the highlights of this phase is the provision of start-up kits to 56 trainees. This marks a significant improvement from previous years, both in terms of the number of kits distributed and the increased support provided for transportation.

“We are deeply encouraged by this progress and are grateful to our partner, Catholic Relief Services, for making this possible,” he said.

According to him, our recent impact assessment meeting with past and current trainees revealed a remarkable achievement: about 62 per cent of the youths trained so far are thriving in their respective trades, a clear testament to the effectiveness of this programme.

In his remarks, the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Usman Salihu, urged the graduands not to end in merrymaking but to put the skills acquired to effective use.

Represented by assistant director of special projects, Gabriel Omadewu, Mr Salihu said that the benefactors will be much pleased when skills acquired meaningfully translate into means of gainful employment, self-employment and development.

Also speaking, the country representative of CRS, Akim Kikonda, said that the CRS is proud to partner with JDPCI to enhance the financial security of youth within Abuja.

Represented by the head of programmes, Lucy Amadon, Mr Kikonda said that the initiative reflects the visionary leadership and commitment of Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama to empower young people, especially those in remote and underserved communities.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Monica Tyoshie recalled that after her NYSC in 2023, she got a low-paying job that could not foot her bills.

She said that though she could not afford a fashion school, she sustained her passion and searched for training in the industry.

“Fortunately for me, in 2024, just a few months after I resigned, I got this opportunity. To be honest, I did not just acquire skills. This programme gave me the confidence and the courage I needed to design. After the programme, I started making some pieces for myself.

“So I took a brand name, and I started advertising on platforms like WhatsApp. I have an Instagram page that I use for advertising as well. I started getting customers within my circle of friends; we are currently training 30 students for JDPCI and will be rounding up this coming Saturday.

“I must say, I’m grateful to God and to this platform for bringing out the passion in me. I am excited to see where this has taken me and how I can now impact lives through my brand, and so thank you very much JDPCI and thank God,” she said. 

(NAN)