In a strategic move towards enhancing the career and employability of Ogoni fresh graduates and tertiary students, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has organised the second edition of the International Career Enhancement and Employability Workshop.
The event which held in Port Harcourt, brought together Ogoni youths for a two-day intensive learning experience.
In his welcome address, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey said the workshop is specially designed for fresh graduates and students in tertiary institutions, stressing that peace and constructive engagement are essential for building trust, understanding, and cooperation.
"Today, we have once again demonstrated that HYPREP is a promise keeper. The first edition of this workshop was held in March 2024, and it was truly remarkable. Therefore, we are excited to build upon its successes to bring you this year's workshop.
"This workshop reaffirms our commitment to inclusiveness and continuous skills development as strategic pillars in HYPREP's efforts to restore and improve livelihoods in Ogoniland. Equipping you with relevant career skills and empowering you with employability tools is our way of ensuring that the gains of HYPREP extend beyond remediation into long-term transformation.
"As you engage with the workshop facilitators over the next two days, I encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and prospects. The experiences and insights to be shared by the facilitators are invaluable, and I have no doubt that you will find them enlightening and thought-provoking.
"At HYPREP, we are committed to supporting your dreams through targeted initiatives, such as this workshop, and we will continue to explore ways to empower you with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed.
"I want to emphasise that this workshop is not just about enhancing your career prospects; it is peace and constructive engagement are essential for building trust, understanding, and cooperation, and I urge you to prioritise these values in all your interactions. also about building a community of young people and equipping you to make a positive impact in your communities.
"As you benefit from HYPREP's interventions and the experiences of the facilitators, I charge you to take the message of peace and constructive engagement to your communities and live accordingly.
He thanked the facilitators for their presence and for sharing Their expertise and experience with the young people. "Your contribution is valued, and your positive impact will surely ripple across society. To our participants, thank you for believing in HYPREP.
"I hereby declare the second edition of the International Career Enhancement and Employability Workshop open. May it be fruitful, enriching, and truly transformative for Ogoniland and our dear country, Nigeria."
Lead Facilitator, Mr. Akanimo Odon, emphasized that this edition focused on resource mobilization and was deliberately structured to build capacity across different levels.
"I think the principal framework for careers enhancement and employability is still the same. It's about increasing your capacity through volunteering like Professor Zabbey said.
"But also, levels of intentionality.Because most of the time, people talk about, there's a bit more focus this year on resource mobilisation. So how can you actually develop your own resources? There's an over- dependence on government, that's actually true. And in several cases, you have access to a lot of resources that can actually enhance your career on your own."
Also, Assistant facilator, Dr. Chioma Okonkwo equipped the participants with skills on how to secure scholarship and write winning research proposals among others.
"So I shared the key components of a statement of purpose, which is one of the requirements for submitting a winning scholarship application, and one of the activities we did as well was getting the student to brainstorm about some local issues in the Ogoniland that they can apply, and they can tap into this opportunity and these issues and begin to apply what they have learned to look for scholarships or fundings around that area."
Other participants such as Sonia-Bari Ereka, Nevi Confidence, and Batombari Kenneth — described the workshop as impressive, insightful, and highly beneficial. They commended the initiative for fostering a transformative experience for both graduate and undergraduate attendees.
The event featured breakout sessions, interactive hands-on exercises, and intensive training that strengthened the participants’ employability skills and prepared them for real-world challenges.
Among the participants, Florence Tende, a graduate, shared that the workshop taught her practical ways to address societal challenges through innovative thinking and actionable solutions.
Isaac Tombari, an undergraduate participant, noted that the session on effective proposal writing stood out for him, as he now understands how to clearly articulate and structure impactful proposals.