The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Cross River chapter, has described the state government’s training of 2,000 youths in oil and gas skills as a “masterstroke” aimed at investment in the state’s blue economy.

In a statement by ALGON’s chairman, Yibala Inyang, on Monday, the Cross River government on Thursday began a specialised training programme for 2,000 youths to equip them with the professional skills and knowledge required to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the oil and gas sector.

The programme, ‘Skill Up in the Season of Sweetness’, was organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Oil and Gas in collaboration with the Research Gateway Professional Institute.

Mr Inyang said the training would prepare Cross River youths to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the oil, gas, and maritime sectors.

Mr Inyang, who is also the chairman of the Yakurr Local Government Area, said the training was coming at a critical time when Cross River was seeking to re-establish its position in the oil-producing and maritime economy.

“It shows that the state is preparing its human capital ahead of possible expansion of oil and gas activities. Governor Bassey Otu’s Oil and Gas Skills Revolution is proof that Cross River is not landlocked but ready for take-off,” he said.

The ALGON chairman argued that the state’s geographical location and maritime assets remained important to its economic prospects, regardless of previous legal and political setbacks over its offshore oil wells.

The ALGON chairman listed the strategic location of the Eastern Naval Command in Calabar, the Cross River Estuary and the Calabar River system, and the state’s proximity to the deep sea as among its maritime advantages.

He also cited oil wellheads reportedly identified during technical mapping for the proposed deep seaport project.

Mr Inyang said the state should focus on building its citizens’ capacity to participate meaningfully in exploiting its natural resources. He said the training of 2,000 youths was, therefore, not merely an employment initiative but an investment in the state’s future workforce.

“Otu has seen tomorrow. By training 2,000 youths today, he is ensuring that when our littoral and oil-producing status is fully restored, Cross Riverians will be the engineers, safety officers, and managers of their own resources,” he said.

Mr Inyang urged relevant authorities to allow ongoing scientific verification of the state’s littoral status by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to proceed without prejudice.

He pledged the support of the 18 local government chairs for the Otu administration’s People-First agenda.

(NAN)