BENIN CITY- The Edo Government, in collaboration with Actionaid Nigeria and the Ideal Development Resource Centre, has concluded plans to train 1,600 youths on skill acquisition.

The state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Magdalene Ohenhen, made this known at a sensitisation workshop on Migration in Benin on Thursday.

The theme of the workshop is `Creation of Alternative to Irregular Migration through Socio-economic Empowerment and Sensitisation Project’.

Ohenhen said that the workshop was aimed at bringing to the fore the ills in irregular migration.

She said that the 1,600 expected beneficiaries would be youths aged between 18 and 40 years.

Ohenhen explained that 60 per cent of the beneficiaries would also be females while the remaining 40 per cent would be males.

She said that the event was also designed to create awareness on the ills of human trafficking.

“In view of this, the government decided that the issue of human trafficking in the state must be addressed urgently.”

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She noted that many lives had been lost in the high seas due to quest to travel abroad for greener pastures.

“But I believe that collectively, we can tell other parts of the country the danger in human trafficking and redeem the image of the state.”

She noted that the programme was the first phase of a series to be organised by the state government towards tackling illegal migration and human trafficking.

Also speaking, Mr Saliu Aidorolo, the Executive Director, Ideal Development and Resource Centre, said that the two-year project would be funded by the Italian Government.

Aidorolo said the project was currently ongoing in Edo and Delta.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that starter packs will be given to the trainees who successfully complete the programme.

The areas of focus include agriculture, automobile repairs, poultry farming, fashion and hair making.