The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has assured leaders of Niger Delta ethnic nationalities and stakeholders that the selection of 10,000 beneficiaries of the Commission’s Youth Internship scheme will be transparent and fair.
The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, gave the assurance during an engagement with leaders of the ethnic nationalities and youth groups in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He said that at the close of the registration process on August 31, 2024, over 3.2 million youths had been recorded in the Youth Internship Scheme database, which he described as a transformative initiative that would create lasting change in the lives of young people.
Ogbuku explained that the youths would be attached to organisations for one year to learn different skills, stating that apart from the internship programme, the NDDC had also given more opportunities and hope to Niger Delta youths through an innovative programme called Holistic Opportunity Projects of Engagement, HOPE.
The NDDC boss said that Project HOPE had helped the Commission to develop a comprehensive digital repository comprising important information about the youths of the Niger Delta region, including their qualifications, skills, interests, needs, and current employment status.
Ogbuku advised Niger Delta youths, who are eagerly waiting for the selection process to be completed, to be patient and shun scammers who were looking for opportunities to extort them.
He stressed: “We are meticulous about the selection process because we remain committed to transparency and fairness in all programmes and projects.”
He urged the youths to continue supporting the NDDC and President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Ogbuku restated the commitment of the NDDC to finalise action on the selection of beneficiaries and ensure that their payment commenced in December.
The President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Ambassador Jonathan Lopkobiri, commended the NDDC for “making genuine efforts to stabilise the Niger Delta region through youth empowerment programmes.”
He said that the regular engagements between the NDDC and Niger Delta youths were a good development that allowed them to contribute their ideas to the advancement of the Niger Delta region.
Also, the President of Isoko National Youth Assembly Worldwide, Comrade Eniwake Orogun, lauded the NDDC for always interfacing with the youths, noting: “The continuous and steady engagement with the youths has become a trademark of the current NDDC management.”
