Fidelity Bank Plc has trained over 3,000 undergraduates from various tertiary institution on skills acquisition through its youth empowerment programme.
The bank’s CEO, Nnamdi Okonkwo, made this disclosure recently during the closing ceremony of the Fidelity Youth Empowerment Academy (FYEA) held at the Sokoto State University (SSU), Sokoto State.
“The students were drawn from the five institutions that have benefitted from the banks youth empowerment initiative that aims to teach vocational and entrepreneurship skills,” said Okonkwo.
Okonkwo, who was represented by the Head, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability, Fidelity Bank, Chris Nnakwe, called on Nigerian youths to embrace entrepreneurship and create wealth for themselves, instead of searching endlessly for non-existing paid jobs.
Organised as part of the bank’s CSR intervention, Nnakwe pointed out that the programme now in its 7th edition seeks to empower the Nigerian undergraduate with skills and enterprise training, which are relevant for self-reliance.
He stated that the bank organised the programme in various institutions of higher learning including, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Waziri Umar Federal Polytechnic, Birnin-Kebbi; Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State; Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt; Bayero University, Kano and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
For the Sokoto edition, Nnakwe said the bank has expanded the scope of the programme in a bid to accommodate new areas of vocational training. Apart from the typical training on tailoring and make-up, he noted that participants were also provided with requisite skills and first-hand knowledge in fashion designing, cloth embellishment, cocktail and phone engineering, among others.
“We in Fidelity Bank have targeted programmes on education, environment and youth empowerment. This one you are witnessing today is part of fulfilling our promises to the society,” he said.
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