Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited (EPNL), the upstream subsidiary of TOTAL in Nigeria , has recently completed the training of 115 youths in Akwa Ibom State under its Skills Acquisition Programme.

The Skills Acquisition training was rounded-off with an impressive graduation ceremony held on Wednesday, 27-Apr-2005 at the Ibom Hall, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State witnessed by a host of dignitaries including the Commissioner for Economic Development in Akwa Ibom State, Dr Ebebe Ukpong; the Permanent Secretary of the Akwa Ibom State Life Enhancement Agency, Mrs. Comfort Ekaette and top officials of both EPNL and NNPC.

In his keynote address, the chairman of the occasion and Commissioner for Economic Development in Akwa Ibom State , Dr. Ukpong praised EPNL for its continued effort in partnering with the government in reducing poverty and improving the quality of life in its host communities. He said the skills acquisition training scheme was a time-proven strategy for the realisation of the Government's policy on employment generation and poverty reduction. He congratulated both the graduands and their trainers for their commitment towards acquiring the skills that will enable them put food on their table and turn around the economy of their immediate families in particular, their communities and indeed the entire Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large.

The 115 youths are the 2nd batch of the NNPC/EPNL Skills Acquisition Trainees for OML 100 which is offshore Akwa Ibom State .

In his address at the ceremony, the General Manager, Sustainable Development of the company, Mr. Anthony Abolarin, represented by the Human Development Manager, Mr Lawrence Isung, stated that the Skills Acquisition Programme is one of the core projects on the sustainable development agenda of the TOTAL group for its host communities. He informed that the trainees were hitherto unemployed youths who for various reasons could not complete their formal education but were desirous to learn and practice a trade for a living. This according to him is in line with the objective of the scheme which is to develop "people who will in turn develop their communities".

In his goodwill message, the Group General Manager of NAPIMS, Mr. Phil Chukwu who was represented by Mr. John Efegoma, congratulated the graduands for taking the bold step towards reshaping their destinies. He said, "as the senior partners providing 60% of the JV funding, the NNPC is happy to identify with this milestone of success recorded by both partners of the JV, the trainers and the trainees" especially since the skills acquisition programme is in line with the Federal Government policy of "diversifying the economy and ensuring equitable distribution of the nation's wealth". He stated further that day's event was both a process and a product of the efforts of the NNPC/EPNL Joint Venture to get all stakeholders especially the host communities to cooperate in order to achieve this laudable aim of the Federal Government. He therefore challenged the beneficiaries to be proactive and creative by applying their ingenuity to improve on the basic platform provided by the training.

In her own remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Akwa Ibom State Life Enhancement Agency, Mrs. Ekaette praised the effort of the NNPC/EPNL Joint Venture in ensuring the success of this all-important partnership. She called on other corporate organizations doing business in the state to emulate EPNL in ensuring that the empowerment and re-orientation of the youths is achieved.

On their part, the graduands expressed delight with the company's dogged efforts in improving their lots and promised to make the best use of the training and equipment received to enhance their living and that of their communities. High points of the occasion included testimonies by graduates of the scheme as managers of their own businesses and employers of labour, presentation of works done by the graduands, and award of certificates of excellence.

More than 600 guests attended the ceremony.