By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt – The Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, says the commission has registered no fewer than 3.2 million youths for its new empowerment programme in the nine Niger Delta states.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NDDC launched the Holistic Opportunity Project of Engagement (Project HOPE) for youths of the region on July 4, 2023.
Speaking at the launch of the second phase of the programme in Port Harcourt on Monday, Ogbuku said that the event marked the implementation stage of the initiative.
He said that the project was established to tackle the challenges of widespread unemployment and the lack of opportunities for the youths in the region.
“This second phase we are launching today is the implementation phase of eight meticulously designed programmes aimed at creating jobs and empowering our youths across various sectors.
“We have registered over 3.2 million youths to be engaged in agriculture, music and arts, technology, entrepreneurship, internship, maritime, underwater welding, and compressed natural gas programmes,” Ogbuku said.
He further said that the commission had acquired about 100 hectares of land in each of the nine NDDC states, where youths would engage in farming activities, including rice, cassava, aquaculture and dairy.
“In terms of music and arts, we are harnessing talents in music, production, cinematography, and scriptwriting, providing them with platforms to excel in the global arts scene.
“Under the technology sector, nicknamed ‘Mili-Tech,’ we are equipping youths with skills in structured cabling, data analysis, animation, and software development, enabling them to tap into global opportunities.
“This project will also address gaps in start-up capital, market access, and modern machinery, fostering a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Niger Delta,” he said.
Ogbuku said that prior to the launch of the initiative, the region lacked a comprehensive database of its youths and women, making it difficult to engage them in sustainable livelihoods.
He said that the programme had successfully eliminated political influence and interference, which had previously hindered youth from benefiting from NDDC interventions.
“The launch of this second phase signifies that, henceforth, the selection of beneficiaries for our programmes will be drawn from the HOPE database.
“This approach ends the previous practice where opportunities meant for deserving youths were shared to stakeholders, friends, and relatives who did not merit the opportunity.
“Project HOPE is devoid of political affiliation and is fully aligned with President Bola Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
The Resource Consultant for the project, Mr Blessing Fubara, stated that the 3.2 million registered youths were categorised according to their education background, skills, and potential.
He expressed the confidence that large-scale farming would create employment for millions of youths and ensure food sufficiency in the region.
According to him, the NDDC aims to use the project to transition the Niger Delta away from crude oil dependency and towards becoming the hub for agriculture, music, arts, and technology in the country.
