Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has echoed its commitment to the economic empowerment and development of youths of the oil producing Niger Delta region.
But the youths must organise themselves and be ready to be trained on business start-ups, said the managing director of NDDC, Nsima Ekere, at a maiden meeting with ex-militants and youth leaders in the region.
Also, the youths must recant resurgence to violence, and assist the Federal Government and security agencies in creating conducive environment in the oil region, in order to attract investors back into the Niger Delta.
Ekere, who addressed a mammoth crowd of representatives of former militants and youth leaders inside the NDDC complex, Port Harcourt Tuesday, the first of such meeting, said that part of the economic empowerment and development for the youths of the region is the remodelling of illegal refineries scattered in communities in the region, to modular refineries with modern technologies and processes.
He said, the NDDC was set up by the Federal Government to address the problem of underdevelopment of the Niger Delta region; adding that in addition to developing the physical infrastructure of the region, the NDDC would develop the human capital in the region, one of the key areas of the development is the young people.
“The major reason for the meeting with the youths is to rub minds and agree on a sustainable economic empowerment for youths of the Niger Delta. When we talk about empowerment, it is not about giving money. We will not give you fish, but we will teach you how to fish.
The NDDC has been mandated by the Federal Government to work out a framework with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, so that youths of communities in the Niger Delta will be empowered through the establishment of modular refineries,” the MD said.
He however, decried the lack of organized leadership structure for youths in the region, and advised them to borrow a leaf from the elders of the region, who now have an organised leadership structure through the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).
Ekere said, the major problem that we have had since we came on board, have been how to address and talk to youths of the Niger Delta region. Several generals have been calling me on phone on this and that, and it has been difficult to know whom government should talk to on issues concerning youths.
“Why can’t we in the Niger Delta agree on a proper youth structure that government can always talk to, when matters on youths of the region come up? Even armed robbers have leaders. Why can’t we have an acceptable structure through which we can engage the youths? he queried; adding that “PANDEF has provided an acceptable structure and platform for elders in the Niger Delta region to be organized, and we commend them for that. I think the youths should borrow a leaf from the elders.”
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