Uzodimma Hails NASENI as Agency Unveils Skills Acquisition Centre to Empower Imo Youths
Says technology-driven training aligns with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, urges support for graduates with start-up capital
By Pan Afric Reporters
Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has lauded the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for expanding access to technology-driven vocational education with the commissioning of a state-of-the-art Skills Acquisition Centre in Owerri, describing the initiative as a strategic intervention that will boost youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and economic development.
The commendation came as NASENI officially inaugurated the NASENI Skills Acquisition Centre, established under the NASENI Sustainable Empowerment Programme (NSEP) in partnership with the Senator representing Imo East Senatorial District, Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi, to equip young Nigerians with practical and industry-relevant skills for self-reliance and job creation.
The development was disclosed in a press statement issued by NASENI, signed by the Director of Information, New Media and Protocol, Mr. Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, on July 22, 2026.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Governor Uzodimma described the project as a major investment in human capital development, noting that technology remains indispensable to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
He commended NASENI for supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda through practical interventions that empower citizens with productive skills rather than temporary assistance.
“This is not about giving people fish; it is about teaching them how to fish,” the governor said.
Uzodimma urged that beneficiaries of the programme should also receive start-up capital after completing their training to enable them establish businesses, become employers of labour and contribute to economic growth.
He further praised NASENI’s sustained developmental interventions in Imo State and appealed to host communities and stakeholders to safeguard the facility for the benefit of present and future generations.
Reacting, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, described the centre as another demonstration of the agency’s commitment to developing the skilled workforce required to drive Nigeria’s industrialisation.
According to him, investing in people remains the foundation of sustainable industrial growth.
“The commissioning of this centre is not merely the opening of another facility. It is the opening of opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire practical skills that solve real problems, create businesses and generate employment. At NASENI, we believe our greatest investment is in the talent of our people,” Halilu stated.
He disclosed that the facility will provide training in high-demand vocational and technology-based fields, including solar installation and maintenance, graphic design and printing, mobile phone repair, fisheries, aquaculture, and other industry-relevant disciplines designed to prepare participants for today’s evolving economy.
Halilu explained that the project aligns with NASENI’s strategic framework of Creation, Collaboration and Commercialization, through which the agency is strengthening Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, promoting indigenous manufacturing, expanding local technical capacity and reducing dependence on imported technologies.
The NASENI boss also commended Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi for partnering with the agency to deliver the project.
Speaking at the event, Senator Onyewuchi said the centre was conceived to tackle youth unemployment by equipping young people with practical entrepreneurial skills.
He revealed that beneficiaries would receive support to establish small businesses after completing their training, enabling them to become job creators instead of job seekers.
“The objective is to empower young people with the skills and support they need to establish businesses and become employers of labour,” the senator said.
The commissioning of the Skills Acquisition Centre reinforces NASENI’s commitment, through the NASENI Sustainable Empowerment Programme (NSEP), to fostering innovation, promoting entrepreneurship and developing the skilled workforce needed to accelerate Nigeria’s industrial and economic transformation.
