Rivers
NDDC’s Youth Employment Initiatives Impresses RSG
Rivers State Government has expressed excitement over the vision of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) youth development scheme tagged “Holistic Opportunities, Projects and Programmes for Engagement (HOPE), otherwise known as “Project Hope”.
The Government said the project was in consonance with the vision of the State Ministry of Youth Development tagged, “A Preparedness Plan for Rivers Youth paradigm shift from Unemployability to Resourcefulness”.
The State Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr Chisom Kenneth Gbali, stated this, Wednesday, during a facility tour of the Rivers State Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre in Port Harcourt by the NDDC management led by its Managing Director, Dr Charles Ogbuku.
Gbali stated that the State Government through the Ministry of Youth, in partnership with NDDC as critical stakeholders, would go a long way to encourage Rivers Youths to believe that both State and Federal Government are ready to pull them out of their limitation.
The Commissioner further stated that Rivers State Government over the time have been sustaining the state in different spheres, especially on youth affairs.
He opines that with this initiative the Federal Government will help to encourage and arouse the curiosity of the youths on the need to become self-reliant through the acquisition of modern skills.
According to him, the Ministry of Youth Development in the state has created a level playing ground required to attract opportunities that will change the narrative of the state to that level of employability and resourcefulness which is the theme of the Ministry’s sensitisation/advocacy campaign.
Dr. Gbali noted that since the ministry took the sensitisation programme to the 23 Local Government Areas of the state, there has been a rise in progressive reasoning from the reaction of the youths in the media, and behavioural change on social vices has significantly reduced.
He said that the Ministry of Youth Development will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Youth on how to explore opportunities that will benefit the youth in the State.
The State Government, he continued, “is optimistic that the Brand innovations adopted by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the state will give youths the needed footing to become self dependent and employers of labour”.
Speaking earlier, the Managing Director, NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, commended the Governor of the State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for the partnership, and granting the commission access to use the State’s ICT facility for the programme.
Dr. Ogbuku noted that one of the major priorities of NDDC is to ensure that Niger Delta became a Tech- Hub, additing that the State ICT Centre would be an added advantage to encourage the commission achieve their vision.
He emphasised that a perfect knowledge of technology was key for guarantee youths to work in multinational companies and become not just self-reliant, but also employers of labour.
Also speaking, the Project Manager, NDDC, Amb. Blessing Fubara, explained that the NDDC Youth Development scheme, “Project HOPE”, is focused on empowerment, employment and Development of Niger Delta youths.
He disclosed that 185 supervisors have been employed, one each from the 185 LGA’s in the Niger Delta region, stating that more 185 collation officers will be employed for database collection.
By: Akujobi Amadi
Rivers
100 Days: Omuma Council Boss Lists Achievements
The Chairman of Omuma Local Government Council in Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Promise Reginald, has given his scorecard in the first 100 days of his administration.
Reginald was elected on October 6, 2024 under the platform of All People’s Party (APP) alongside 21 other Council chairmen in the State, with the exclusion of Etche Local Government Council chairman, Dr. Uzodinma Nwafor, who was elected from a different political party.
Given his scorecard at a press briefing held in his Port Harcourt last Thursday, the Omuma Council boss expressed gratitude to Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and the Omuma people for the confidence reposed in him.
He listed restoration of 24 hours electricity, belle first welfare empowerment programme, purchase of 28 empowerment vehicles as well as 100 JAMB forms as some of the projects his administration had achieved within the first 100 days in office.
Others were the construction of Eberi Mordern Market, renovation of Eberi Hospital, construction of hospital and rural road in Ward 2 as well as the construction of a secondary school project in Ward 10 as ongoing projects started by his administration that were near completion within three to four months period.
He pointed out with pleasure that Governor
Fubara had taken over the construction of the modern school project and the road construction.
On the human capacity development, the chairman said that his administration introduced an empowerment programme where an Omuma indegene was given one million naira every month to support his or her business.
“On education development, we have constituted a Scholarship Board to award scholarships to 10 best students of Omuma origin from year one to final year, and also we have resolved to award overseas scholarships to three Omuma indigenes to study abroad in science, medicine and engineering related disciplines. We want to leave a legacy that we will be remembered when we leave office”, he stated
According to him, his administration has proposed to establish a modern hotel in the area and also embark on mechanized agriculture to boost the revenue and tourism of the local government area.
He used the opportunity to thank the people of the local government area for their support for the Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and assured that Omuma people would continue to support the present administration in the state.
Akujobi Amadi