The President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, says his resolve to provide technical manpower needs for the country’s industrial growth has started yielding desired results.

Dangote said this on Monday at Obajana, Kogi State, while inaugurating fresh 100 trainees recently admitted under the Junior Technician Scheme (JTS) of the Dangote Academy in Obajana.

Dangote, who was represented by Mr Davar Kumar Edwin, Executive Director, Project and Portfolio, Dangote Group, said that the trainees, who form batches three and four of the academy, would be trained to suit the needs of indigenous companies and multinationals.

He said that many companies, including Dangote Group, could not continue to solely rely on universities and polytechnics to produce the needed technical manpower, hence the decision to establish the academy.

Dangote said that the trainees, selected from the host communities of Obajana and Ibeshe cement plants and other parts of the country, would be taken through critical technical areas of engineering, electrical installation and maintenance, automobile maintenance and instrumentation, welding and fabrication, machining and fitting, among others.

“The JTS is one of the flagship programmes of the Dangote Academy running for a period of 18 months.

“At the end of the training programme, these 100 young Nigerians, being admitted here today, will become master technicians in one or more areas,” he said.

On completion of the training, he said, some of the trainees will be absorbed into factories of Dangote Group in Nigeria and other African countries.

He also spoke of plans to upgrade the academy, established in 2010 to a global institution, saying that it had started partnering with the German Association of Equipment Manufacturers in furtherance of this.

Dangote said that the academy was also in touch with the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for approval, registration and accreditation of its agreement on technical vocational education and training.

He charged the new trainees to show a strong commitment to learn and take cognizance of the immense investments being committed to their training by the company.

“This programme is offered free at no cost to the trainees. You are going to have the best training of your life in the next 18 months, do not disappoint all those who have helped make this a reality,” he charged them.

The Olu of Imasayi, Oba Adesola Oni and Bajana of Obajana, Oba Idowu Isenibi, who spoke on behalf of the host communities, commended the company for its efforts at helping the country to develop manpower needs of the country in critical areas.

The traditional rulers promised to continue to work with Dangote Group and other stakeholders to create enabling environment for the company’s operations.

Three of the trainees, Mr Mayomi Samuel, Mr Ajayi Adepegba and Miss Blessing Oguche, thanked Dangote for the opportunity given to them to be admitted into the academy and promised to be of good behaviour throughout their 18-month stay at the academy. (NAN)