Presidential Amnesty Programme

The Niger Delta is an environment with substantial Marine, Naval and Seaport infrastructure. This reality compelled the training of Niger Delta indigenes in the Maritime field to address the issues through development of its native sons and daughters. Also, there was a need for the Niger Delta Youths to fulfill and compete for these high paying jobs in the Maritime industry which are currently going unfulfilled due to lack of adequately trained work force. The presidential Amnesty Office embraced the task to train and empower young men and women from the region in relevant areas like Maritime Seamanship, Under-Water Welding and Diving. Delegates trained in th field were exposed to extensive training in navigating, maintaining and operating a vessel. The core training under a maritime consulting firm, First Adasa Group Limited is IMO Compliant and approved by the United States Coast Guard as well as other IMO White List countries meeting the requirements of the Maritime community.

Nigeria with its rapidly expanding cities is a melting point for builders and experts in construction engineering. For a long time, foreign companies and expatriates held sway in the sector but forthe introduction of laws as the local content legislation that opened the door for the active participation of indigenous actors. The Presidential Amnesty Programme took the initiative to train its delegates in construction in order to provide specialized services where needed.

The drive to grow technical skills within Nigeria’s service sector derives from the need to grow Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. These enterprises are the engine of economic growth and are fundamental indices in the micro and macro economy. Delegates who trained in welding and fabrication form the core of the entrepreneurship training group under the programme and are central in the implementation of the post-training and reintegration component of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

This is clearly one of the challenging technical areas of training under the Presidential Amnesty Programme. Trainees emerged as core technicians in operation, maintenance and testing of power transformers and auxiliary equipment. Most of those trained in this field are also experts in specialized areas such as transmission and distribution sub-station switching. Delegates who trained in this vocation at Brainbox Matrix Service L imited in Port Harcourt manufactured a 200 KVA Transformer that they presented to the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and  Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh (Rtd). Four delegates were employed by Brainbox Matrix as core staff upon completion of the training.

this is another aspect of training explored by the Education for Employment initiative of the Presidential amnesty Programme. Delegates were trained in plastic manufacturing and processing at the innoson Kiara academy in Emene, Enugu state. the training was expansive and covered generic aspect of molding, casting and production of plastic products using advanced machineries and techniques.

With a population estimated at 25 million people, the niger delta region is primed to benefit from a growing population of college educated young people. The Presidential Amnesty Programme realizes the imperatives for a knowledge driven society and has since 2009 given full education scholarships to thousands of youth from the region. Most of these beneficiaries have excelled in their chosen areas of studies, with many clinching First and Second-Class Upper honors in disciplines such as Medicine,  forensic Sciences, International Diplomacy and Law. The performance of student  delegates abroad has been even more stunning. Between 2015 and 2016, a total of 454 graduated mainly from British Universities with 20 graduating First Class and 41, Second Class Upper. PAP has also ensured the effective management of student delegates abroad through collaboration with Nigerian Embassies and High Commission, This has led to remarkable reduction in student agitation.

The training in Automobile technology is part of an education for employment initiative conceived by the Presidential Amnesty Office and some of its key partners for the youth of the niger Delta. the training is particularly critical considering current efforts by the Federal Government to transfer and develop local  expertise in car manufacturing, maintenance and repairs. A first batch of 120 delegates were trained at the Innoson Kiara Academy, Umudim Nnewi, Anambra State. the delegates distinguished themselves by the end of the training, building a 32 seater bus from scratch to finish which was later presented to President Muhammadu buhari.

Aviation This is perhaps one of the most celebrated vocational training under the programme. The aviation training under PAP is carefully structured and meticulously followed through to close existing manpower gaps in Nigeria’s aviation sector. It has successfully rolled out a plethora of qualified experts in specialized areas with the requisite credentials and the technical knowledge to compete with their counterparts in other parts of the world. Some of the trained commercial pilots have completed advanced type-rating courses in international recognized Aviation institutes and are currently employed as pilot instructors, First Flight offi cers and Aircraft M aintenance Engineers in Nigeria and Oversea.

One area that has remained of utmost importance to the Presidential Amnesty Office is Agriculture. This is in line with the presidential initiative on exploring available potentials in the sector to grow the national economy.  The Amnesty vigorously pursuing partnerships with relevant agroallied groups to among other things encourage the youth of the Niger Delta to embrace commercial agriculture. Some of the key partners include the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the National Bio-Technology Development center. Delegates have been empowered by the office to begin fishery, poultry and crop farming while thousands of delegates yet to be trained are now being deployed into Agriculture. 

The Presidential Amnesty Programme is a structured Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Programme instituted after the declaration of Amnesty by late President Umaru Musa Yar’ repentant militants in the Niger Delta in 2009. It was aimed at constructively resolving the confl icts in the Niger Delta region, which arose from perceived insensitivity of Governments in the past. The programme as a mechanism for confl ict resolution has provided a platform to deepen engagements in the Niger Delta region.  Over the years, the Programme has continued to adapt and refi ne its implementation processes in line with global best practices.   Nigeria is today rated as one of the Countries with an effi  cient and eff ective DDR Programme.   The successes of the Programme are the outcomes of the resolve by Stakeholders to collaboratively build common grounds in the face of daunting challenges. The achievements of thousands of successful Amnesty delegates have indeed highlighted the co

21 AMNESTY BENEFICIARIES GRADUATE FROM NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, BOSTON, USA Brig Gen PT BOROH (Rtd) and 3 of the successful beneficiaries. It was all smiles in far away USA and back here in Nigeria, as 21 beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, graduated in various courses at the Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The beneficiaries just completed their 4 year study in the university and all graduated with excellent results. This great achievement not only shows the Federal Governments commitment to the Human Capital Development of the region, but also displays the administrations willingness to carry on with positive projects carried over from the last administration.  It may interest you to know that over 1000 students are still in schools all over the world, sent out by the last administration, but fully carried on by the current leadership of Brigadier General Paul Boroh. The Amnesty Programme that was setup to Disarm, Demobilize and

AMNESTY OFFICE DEPLOYS MAIDEN BATCH OF 100 TRAINEES IN TOURISM/HOSPITALITY; EMPOWERS ADDITIONAL 40 IN SMES A first tranche of 100 delegates from a designated total number of one thousand have been deployed by the Presidential Amnesty Office for training at the International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State. The training is projected to explore the diverse business opportunities inherent in the rich cultural heritage of African societies while particularly emphasising the peculiarity of the Niger Delta eco-system for tourism. The special adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh who officially flagged off the exercise, described the training as a good example of applying home-grown technique to expand the knowledge base of youth in the region and develop skills capable of improving their lives and the local economy. He was quite emphatic on the immense opportunities in