Skills acquisition and human capital development are key areas the Federal Government is focusing on to engage the youths and help improve the lives of people in the Niger Delta region by developing sustainable entrepreneurial skills.
This trajectory is understandable because entrepreneurial, vocational and leadership value enhancement is the key to unlock the potentials and possibilities available to the youths in the Niger Delta region.
The objective is to equip youths with meaningful and self-sustaining skills that will improve their lives, support their families and communities, and thereby reduce criminality in Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
For years, the oil executives have complained that the youths of the region lacked the requisite training and competencies to take up technical and skilled jobs in the oil and gas industry.
This prompted the NDDC to establish a database of all interested youths in the region and to initiate training schemes to prepare them for the industry.
In July this year, the NDDC launched a comprehensive technical skills acquisition programme to equip participants with practical in-demand skills.
Last week, a total of 300 youths who participated in the training programme in various skill areas graduated at a colourful ceremony organised by the NDDC.
At the official flag-off of the programme in Port Harcourt, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, stated that it aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the efforts to address youth unemployment and restiveness in the Niger Delta.
Ogbuku, who was represented by the NDDC Executive Director of Projects, Dr Victor Antai, described the programme as “development in action.”
He stated, “Every enduring legacy begins with a foundation. What we are doing today is laying the groundwork for the skills, vision, and effort to build the Niger Delta of our dreams. These trainings are not just routine empowerment but strategic investments in human capital. When we teach scaffolding, we are not just building structures; we are raising futures. When we teach pipe coating and fitting, we are sealing the lips of unemployment and poverty.”
Ogbuku emphasised that skills, such as pipe fitting, sandblasting, scaffolding, and forklifting, were essential and marketable in sectors like construction, oil and gas, and industrial services, both locally and internationally. He urged participants to be disciplined and fully committed, noting that the skills they acquire are “permanent assets” that will empower them for life.
In her remarks, the Director, Commercial and Industrial Development, Barr. Lyna Okara reaffirmed the NDDC’s commitment to building a capable and employable youth population. “This training will equip you with knowledge, experience, and employable or self-employment skills, thereby contributing to your personal growth and a sustainable regional economy,” she said.
Also speaking, the Chief Operating Officer of Thompson Best Nigeria Limited, the lead consultant for the programme, Mrs. Blessing Olodiama, described the training as timely and relevant in today’s skill-driven world. She encouraged participants to make the most of the opportunity. “NDDC has invested so much in each of you. Pay attention to the training rules, stay focused, and avoid distractions. What you gain today will determine your tomorrow,” she advised.
Addressing the youths during the graduation ceremony at the NDDC event centre in Port Harcourt, Victor Antai, the Commission’s Executive Director for Projects, said the training was part of the Commission’s efforts to reduce youth restiveness, create employment opportunities, and alleviate poverty among the people.
Antai explained that the training in the areas of pipe fitting, scaffolding, forklift operations and sand blasting was meant to fill the job vacuum in the oil and gas industry.
He noted that the effort to develop human capacity for the people of the Niger Delta region to learn and benefit from the training programme was in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Antai said further: “It is noteworthy that we are gathered to celebrate the graduation of youths from the Niger Delta region who have been trained to acquire skills in pipe fitting, scaffolding, forklift operations, sand blasting to learn and to benefit from a programme such as this. This is in line with the Provisions of Section 7 of the NDDC Establishment Act 2000, as amended “
The Executive Director stated that NDDC was committed to realising its mandate of human capacity development that would be sustainable and regenerative, noting that trainees from the nine states of the region participated in the training.
Antai advised the graduands to remain focused, as the NDDC invested a considerable amount of money to train them in the various areas to produce worthy trained personnel for various industries that require skills in oil and gas, and manufacturing.
He added that the development would further lead to a decrease in the demand for white-collar jobs, as well as growth in SMEs, among others, in line with the ideals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He described the graduands as pioneers and ambassadors of the NDDC, part of the fulfilment of the current NDDC board’s vision to restore hope to the people of the region.
In his goodwill message, the Executive Director of Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, congratulated the trainees and urged them to apply their knowledge productively, create wealth, and contribute to the region’s development.
The Director, Commercial and Industrial Development, Mrs. Lyna Okara, said the training programme was well thought out to address the needs of the oil and gas industry.
In a goodwill message, the representative of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Timothy Iyenabo urged the graduands.to develop a road map towards upscaling and training others.
The ceremony, which was witnessed by the NDDC Director, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Winifred Madume and other NDDC Directors, featured the presentation of certificates to the graduands
Recall that in January 2024, a total of 200 youths across the Niger Delta region were trained in welding and fabrication, in recognition of the importance of the skills in the engineering sector, especially in oil and gas, construction and manufacturing.
The NDDC boss stated that the training’s goal was to equip participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in the field and create new opportunities for the youth.
The graduation ceremony was held simultaneously in four centres where the training was conducted: Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Eket, Akwa Ibom State; Warri, Delta State; and Benin, Edo State. The 200 graduates were drawn from the nine states covered by the NDDC.
The Commission donated welding equipment, comprising a welding machine, a grinding machine, a toolbox, and a cash grant of N100,000 each to support the trainees.
Earlier, in 2023, the NDDC introduced a youth development and empowerment scheme designed to create a comprehensive resource database of the Niger Delta region’s youth population. The scheme, known as Holistic Opportunities, Projects, and Engagement (HOPE), is designed to provide a platform that empowers the region’s youth on a sustainable basis. Project HOPE marks a turning point in youth development and empowerment because it is holistic and designed for sustainability. Things can only be sustainable when they are data-driven. The project would create a database for youths, women, and entrepreneurs. This will enable development agencies to see clearly what the youth want. The new initiative, which follows years of unplanned and mismanaged project execution in the region, will focus on the needs of the youth, including their qualifications, skills, passions, interests, and employment status. Youths in the Niger Delta are expected to register on the database to benefit from jobs created in areas such as agro-allied production, technology, and others. The scheme is meant to empower the youth with legitimate means of livelihood in line with their educational directions, qualifications, and skills. The database will provide the parameters for the region’s employment generation, youth empowerment, and capacity development.
The project HOPE has 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. This database will serve as a platform for data-driven planning, enabling the formulation of impactful policies and programmes targeted at the youth.
Youth Development Scheme
As part of its strategies to bring sustainable change, the Commission developed a new programme of working with the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce to train youths and young entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta region. The plan is to collaborate with the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce to support Small and Medium Enterprises in the Niger Delta region.
The new scheme centres on a Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce that aims to strengthen young entrepreneurs in the region. The goal is to end the situation where youths are at home and receive stipends. Hence, the Commission is changing its Youth Volunteer Programme to the Youth Internship Programme, where youths will be attached to organisations for one year to learn skills. The chamber of commerce will help to make the programme sustainable. It will focus on empowering young entrepreneurs because the government cannot employ everybody. The Youth Internship programme is envisaged to discourage sedentary lifestyles among the youth of the Niger Delta region.
