By Ozioruva Aliu
The Centre for Edo Delta Development Initiative (CEDDI), Edo State branch, has urged the state government to provide free skills acquisition programmes for youths as part of efforts to tackle poverty and promote economic empowerment.
The organisation’s Director, Mr Lawrence Omevbege, made the appeal during an awareness rally to mark World Poverty Day 2026, themed “Safe Homes for All, United for Peace and Human Rights.”
Speaking at the Edo State Council Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Omevbege identified inadequate public awareness of available vocational training opportunities as a major obstacle to youth empowerment.
He called for increased public enlightenment and government intervention to ensure young people can access skills training and acquire the knowledge needed to become economically self-reliant.
“We believe that nobody can kill poverty, but one way we can fight poverty is to create skills acquisition opportunities. Once you acquire a skill, you can put food on your table,” he said.
“People are not aware of the skills acquisition programmes and where they can get trained. Once you are properly trained and equipped with a skill, poverty is drastically reduced.”
Omevbege urged the Edo State Government to prioritise vocational education and make skills acquisition programmes free and accessible to young people.
He said sustained awareness campaigns would help more residents identify available training opportunities and understand how vocational skills could improve their livelihoods.
The CEDDI director said the organisation had continued its advocacy on poverty reduction in Edo State over the years, adding that it planned to take its campaign to the Edo State Government House to seek greater government support.
He also disclosed that CEDDI would mark its 15th anniversary in the coming weeks, noting that the organisation had assisted 559 people over the years.
Receiving the rally participants on behalf of the Edo State Council Chairman of the NUJ, Mr Lucky Ighuomaye commended the organisation for its efforts towards poverty reduction and youth empowerment.
