Vocational Training Empowers 120 Rivers Youths with Employability Skills

A total of 120 young men and women from six host communities in Rivers State have successfully completed the first edition of an employability and vocational training programme aimed at enhancing job readiness and entrepreneurial potential.

The graduation ceremony, held in Port Harcourt, was attended by dignitaries, government representatives, community leaders, and traditional rulers who gathered to celebrate the achievements of the trainees. The participants received certificates after completing technical training in key vocational areas such as Crane Operations, Process Instrumentation, Scaffolding and Rope Access, Wellhead Services and Maintenance, Sandblasting and Industrial Painting, Industrial Plumbing and Aluminium Welding, and Welding and Fabrication.

The initiative forms part of Aradel Holdings Plc’s wider community development strategy and was launched following a comprehensive needs assessment across its six host communities: Otari, Ogbele, Oshiugbokor, Omaraka, Obumeze, and Rumuekpe, all situated in PML 14 (formerly OML 54).

Trainees benefitted from both classroom-based learning and practical, hands-on experiences, including site visits to Aradel’s operational facilities. Aradel provided regular oversight through routine visits to training centres and received monthly progress updates from the training provider.

Traditional rulers present at the event praised the initiative. His Imperial Majesty Eze Amb. Sir Kevin Ngozi Anugwo, the Eze Ekpeye Logbo III of Ekpeye Land, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the communities and called for the programme’s continuity. His Royal Majesty, Prince Ike Ehie, Eze Igbu Orlukwo II of Orlukwo Kingdom, similarly commended the community-first approach.

In his remarks, Aradel’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Mr Adegbite Falade, reaffirmed the company’s dedication to community development. “By investing in skills development and vocational training, we are building local capacity and opening doors to long-term economic opportunities,” he said. “This is how we ensure that the benefits of our operations are felt directly by the people in our Host Communities."

The training was delivered under the MURALI Host Communities Development Trust, which was established by Aradel in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). The Trust is funded by a fixed percentage of the company’s annual operating expenses and supports initiatives aimed at improving the socio-economic wellbeing of its host communities.

The graduation was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, traditional leaders from the six participating communities, and members of the Board of Trustees, Management Committee, and Advisory Committee of the MURALI Trust.