In a bid to address what it describes as the low participation of Niger Delta youths in national employment and empowerment programmes, the Niger Delta Progressives Alliance (NDPA) has launched a regional sensitisation campaign to educate young people on how to access federal government initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods.
Speaking at a one-day forum held over the weekend in Asaba, the event themed “Empirical Perspective on President Tinubu’s Offers in Two Years: A Strategic Engagement of Niger Deltans on Accessibility,” NDPA Convener Victor Udoh explained that the initiative was born from the realisation that many citizens in the region fail to benefit from federal employment interventions not due to exclusion, but due to lack of timely and accurate information.
Udoh cited the 2024/2025 NELFUND student loan programme as a case in point.
“Sixty-five per cent of beneficiaries are from the North, while only 35 per cent are from the South, and most of that 35 per cent are from the South-West.
“It’s not that our people were denied; they simply didn’t apply. Many don’t even believe these opportunities are real, ” he said.
The NDPA seeks to equip citizens with the knowledge to access government programmes directly, without reliance on middlemen or incurring illegal charges.
According to Udoh, increased engagement in federal initiatives such as the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) will strengthen the region’s economic base and contribute to community security.
“When people are economically empowered, communities become more secure and stable. That’s why we’re taking this message from state to state across the Niger Delta,” he said.
Also speaking at the forum, Jator Abido, National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Youth Council Worldwide, who also holds the traditional title of ‘Paramount Ruler of Niger Delta Communities in the North’, highlighted the information gap between northern and southern youths regarding federal programmes.
“More Northerners are taking advantage of these federal empowerment programmes than southerners.
”That’s why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to educate our people about initiatives like NELFUND, SMEDAN, and other presidential projects, and how they can positively change lives,” Abido said.
Abido also commended the federal government’s interventions in critical sectors in the Niger Delta, including the awarding of pipeline surveillance contracts to Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL).
He noted that the company has been instrumental in reducing pipeline vandalism and oil theft, increasing oil production from under one million barrels per day to nearly two million, while simultaneously creating jobs for youths and supporting scholarships, training, and skills acquisition programmes.
“The President means well for the Niger Delta. Students can benefit from NELFUND loans, entrepreneurs can access SMEDAN funds, and even small producers in rural areas can get help to process and export their goods,” he added.
Felix Ejenavi, Secretary-General of NDPA and host of the forum, stated that the sensitisation drive, which began in Rivers State, would extend to all nine states in the Niger Delta region.
Delta State Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. ThankGod Trakiriowei, lauded both President Bola Tinubu and Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for implementing programmes with tangible impacts on citizens’ lives.
He however, urged youths in the region to proactively engage with these opportunities at both federal and state levels to empower themselves and build sustainable livelihoods.
