The Rivers State Government has inaugurated the Adolescent and Young Peoples Innovation Hub in Fimie, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, as part of efforts to address youth unemployment, bridge skills gaps and reduce health vulnerabilities among young people, with the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, who commissioned the facility on Thursday, describing it as a bold investment in the future of the state and a reflection of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s commitment to youth-centred, innovative interventions, stating that “This hub goes beyond skills training; it creates opportunities, restores dignity, and nurtures hope,” while emphasising that every beneficiary should leave equipped with skills for self-reliance, as the initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Nigeria through the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, with support from Project Hope, whose Chief Operating Officer, Dr Charles Olalekan-Mensah, explained that adolescents would be trained in cohorts of 50 over six months in areas including web design, makeup artistry, entrepreneurship, vocational life-building skills, culinary services, robotics and application development, noting that “Graduates from here can train others in their communities,” and adding that the hub is fitted with modern facilities such as a fully equipped kitchen and a robotics room, while Project Hope’s Programme and Operations Manager, Mrs Adeola Seweje, commended the cooperation of the Fimie community and the state government for enabling the project’s delivery, and the Amayanabo of Fimie Kingdom, Dr Bernard Fimie, urged youths to maximise the opportunity, describing the hub as a catalyst for community development and reduced social vulnerability in Rivers State.
