Youth development seems to be the most intractable challenge in the Niger Delta. Now, the new management at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it has developed a new concept of working with the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce in the training of youths and aspiring entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta region.
Speaking during a Youth Interactive Forum organised by the NDDC in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, stated that the Commission would collaborate with the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Niger Delta region.
He said: “It is no longer acceptable that our youths will be at home and be receiving stipends. We are changing the NDDC Youth Volunteer programme to Youth Internship Programmes where youths will be attached to organisations for one year to learn skills.
“The chamber of commerce will help us to ensure that the programme is sustainable. We will focus on empowering young entrepreneurs because government cannot employ everybody. We will engage the youths to work for the benefit of everyone.”
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Ogbuku said NDDC sought partnerships through stakeholder engagements to hear from the youth and to interact with them to plan for them better.
In his contribution, the leader of Rivers Youth Forum, Blessing Fubara, urged the NDDC to make the Youth Interactive Forum a quarterly event, stating that the current management in the Commission had demonstrated sufficient interest in providing for the wellbeing of people.
Meanwhile, the NDDC boss says that work will soon resume at the 3.65-kilometre Okrika-Borokiri Road with three bridges connecting Kolabi, Abotoru and Okpoka creeks to Port Harcourt.
Speaking after inspecting the project in Okrika LGA of Rivers State, Ogbuku said that the Commission would revive the project because it would provide a lot of benefits to the people.
He said that when completed, the road would reduce traffic congestion on the refinery road as well as reduce travel time from Okrika to Port Harcourt.
At the palace of the Amanyanabo of Okochiri, Ateke Michael Tom, the NDDC boss said the visit was very necessary.
In his remarks, the king urged the NDDC to expedite action on some stalled projects in his kingdom. He remarked that on completion the projects would bring more economic and human capital development to the people of Okrika.
