What seems like good news in a long time has escaped from the imposing edifice housing the scandal-riddled Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the youth of the oil region when a youth won a car and a trip to Dubai.
The second youth, this time a female, won herself N2m, while the third, female went home with N1m.
This was at the grand finale of the 2022 Niger Delta Talent Hunt (NIDETH) which was held in Port Harcourt where the NDDC emphasised the importance of youth engagement in the development of the Niger Delta region.
The competition was won by Elvis Lunar, a singer from Rivers State, while Honest Amasomawei, a comedian, took the second position and Precious Ogiesoba, another singer, came in third. The winner was rewarded with a new car and a performance trip to Dubai.
Speaking at the final of the talent hunt programme, the NDDC Interim Administrator, Efiong Akwa, said it was designed to harness the talents of young people in the region and expose them to opportunities in the entertainment industry.
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Akwa, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Technical Matters, an engineer, Ubongabasi James, noted that the programme gave the youths an opportunity to showcase their talents.
The NDDC CEO commended the efforts of the NIDETH organizing team led by musician and songwriter, Harrison Tare Okiri, professionally known as Harrysong, for putting up a spectacular event.
In his welcome address, the NDDC Director Youth and Sports, Offiong Ephraim, said that the Commission placed a lot of premium on regular engagements with youths of the Niger Delta region.
He noted: “The Niger Delta Talent Hunt is a youth development programme aimed at harnessing the entertainment potentials of the Niger Delta youths. Talented youths from the nine Niger Delta States participated in the preliminary stages which took place in Edo, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states.”
Ephraim remarked that NIDETH was envisioned to discover and develop the inherent talents of the Niger Delta youths, stating: “The project aims at building the capacity of the Niger Delta youths for wealth creation through entertainment. The ten finalists have demonstrated world class talents.”
He commended the youths who made it to the final stage, congratulating them for their “thrilling skill development journey.”
