By Winifred Momoh
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has disclosed that a total of 3.2 million youths were registered for the first phase of the Holistic Opportunities Programmes for Engagement, Project HOPE.
The first phase of the programme which was launched on July 4, 2023 was aimed at addressing and combating pressing challenges facing Nigerian youths in the areas of unemployment and opportunities.
The Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed the figure during the official launch of the second phase of Project HOPE on Monday at the Rivers State Information, Communication and Technology Centre in Port Harcourt.
Speaking on the focus of the second phase, Dr Ogbuku said “The second phase is the implementation phase of eight meticulously designed programmes aimed at creating jobs and empowering our youth across various sectors such as agriculture and technology.
“The success of Project HOPE requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders. I extend an open invitation to government entities, private sector players, international partners, community leaders, and non-governmental organisations to join us in this noble venture.”
“Over the years what has been happening is that because of political interests, people are given slots to nominate participants for empowerment programmes and most of these participants never had passion for these training programmes.
“After the training programmes, you see people selling off the starter-packs and other equipment that were given to them after the training.
“In this case, we believe that once we pick you from the data based on your area of interest and passion, you are going to excel from there. And since you are in our data base, we will also have our monitoring process to track your performance.”
As an encouragement, Dr Ogbuku added “You are the architects of your destiny and the catalysts for regional transformation.”
Speaking also during the launch, the NDDC Executive Director, Project, Sir Victor Antai said “It is a beacon of optimism and a catalyst for change. conceived under the insightful leadership of our Managing Director. This initiative aims to harness the potential of our youth and provide them with viable avenues for self-actualization and economic empowerment.”
