Delta State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU ) with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to establish a shoe manufacturing and leather works production and training centre in the Asaba.

The Centre which would be spread across 2.6 hectres of land will provide a minimum of 2,000 jobs on completion.

The State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan who disclosed this shortly after signing the MoU, said that the land has been made available while the 820,000 US dollars state counterpart funding has been released for collection by UNIDO.

“The land is in place and the money is ready for collection by UNIDO. Everything is set and the beauty of it all is that it would be managed by UNIDO”, he stated.

He lauded the UNIDO for partnering with the Delta State government, noting that it was part of the measures being put in place to achieve the mantra of ‘Delta Beyond Oil’, assuring that his administration would provide necessary logistics to make the programme a success.

Essentially, he said that it was geared towards providing employment for the youths, declaring that the State was extend the partnership with UNIDO to areas of renewable energy and wastes to wealth projects.

Earlier, the representative of UNIDO in Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Korma said that the partnership would change the face of production of foot wares and leather materials in Nigeria.

He stressed that the project which would be a “centre of excellence for leather works in Nigeria”, will reduce poverty in the country.

He commended Governor Uduaghan for working towards enthroning a state that would depend less on oil revenues with the Delta Beyond Oil policy.

The Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation in Delta State, Dr Anthonia Ashiedu said the state was passionate about the programme and was determined to do all it would take to alleviate poverty in the State.