To help them take full advantage of the free trade zone
The Managing Director of Tinapa, Cross River, Bassey Ndem, has disclosed plans by the resort centres’ management to commence a training programme for traders in the Niger Delta region, as part of efforts to transform tourism.
Speaking on Monday, when he led the management team to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) headquarters in Port Harcourt, Ndem said that the objective of the programme was to transform small-scale traders from the Niger Delta region into merchants.
Explaining that so far, only foreigners were taking full advantage of the Tinapa Free Trade Zone in Calabar to run their businesses, he said the training was expected to help small-scale traders do same, and educate youths on modern trading and the rudiments of import and export.
Ndem solicited the partnership of NDDC to ensure the smooth take-off of the programme.
The Managing Director of NDDC, Christian Oboh, commended Tinapa for articulating programmes that would benefit youths in the Niger Delta region and expressed the commission’s willingness to partner with organisations that would share the financial burden with NDDC.
“We are looking for partners that will place their money side-by-side with that of the NDDC. Much as we believe in partnership, there is the need to collaborate with organisations that can truly assist us in taking the youths from our streets,” he said.
