The Chairperson of Igbo-Eze South Local Government Council in Enugu State, Ugo Ferdinand Ukwueze, has launched empowerment programmes for 2,000 youths in the council area.
Mr Ukwueze, a lawyer, is the vice chairperson of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Enugu State Chapter.
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The multidimensional empowerment programmes, launched on 16 April 2025 at the Igbo-Eze South Council Secretariat, Ibagwa-Akwa, include bursary awards, scholarships, JAMB fee intervention and reimbursement, and training in hospitality, ICT, and agrobusiness.
In his address, Mr Ukwueze said the empowerment programmes and the interventions of the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, in youth development, aimed at positioning the youths of Enugu to be global competitors.
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“For every effort you see us make in government, for every effort made by Governor Peter Mbah, it is just because he (Mbah) has hope, he has belief, he has faith that there can be an Enugu State where the sons and daughters of the state would be exposed to world class education and civilisation and that they can compete with their contemporaries all over the world,” Mr Ukwueze said.
He charged the youths to believe in themselves and work hard to realise their dreams. He promised to always be there to offer them financial and material support.
Gov Mbah’s remarks
Prisca Okeke, Mr Mbah’s special assistant on Youth and Students Affairs, represented the governor at the event.
Governor Mbah commended the council chairperson, Mr Ukwueze, for the initiative and stressed its importance to the future of the local government area.
“Today, we are here to celebrate the chairman. I want you to look at yourselves and say you and your people made the best choice.
“Because if you had not voted for him to be your chairman, you would not be here today for this kind of event.
“This just shows that the future of Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area has just started,” the governor said.
Mr Mbah said the empowerment schemes are critical to youth development and align with the Enugu government’s vision.
The high-point of the event was the reimbursement of JAMB fees to over 500 candidates, the sponsorship of five students for training at St Mary’s Agro Farms, Udi, Enugu State and the award of fully funded scholarships to over 100 youths for skill acquisition at the Marior Institute of Hospitality Management and Entrepreneurship Education, Uhunowere, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area.
Fully funded scholarships for Master’s degree programme
The council chairperson, Mr Ukwueze, gave special recognition and awarded fully funded scholarships for a Master’s degree programme in any Nigerian university to Emeka Abigail Bright and Egwuchika Tochukwu Onyeze, who both bagged First Class Honours in their first degree programme.
While Miss Bright graduated with First Class from Political Science Education, University of Calabar, Mr Onyeze graduated with First Class and was also the best graduating student of Electronics and Computer Engineering, Class 2024, at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Mr Ukwueze branded both as ‘ambassadors’ of Igbo-Eze South and urged them to continue inspiring other youths from the council area.
The Vice Chairperson of Igbo-Eze South, Chinwendu Ogbonna; the wife of the chairperson of Igbo-Eze South Council, Empress Ugo-Ferdinand; the Supervisory Councillor for Education and Social Services in the council, Asanya Paul; members of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igbo-Eze South Chapter, led by Igwe Barnabas Okechukwu Agbaji; and the PDP Chairperson, Igbo-Eze South, Sunday Amedu were among the dignitaries at the event.
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