The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), says it has registered 3.2 million youths in its Holistic Opportunities Programmes for Engagement, Project HOPE, since the first phase of the programme was launched on July 4, 2023.
This was announced by the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, on Monday during the launching of the second phase at the Rivers State Information, Communication and Technology Centre in Port Harcourt.
Ogbuku said that Project HOPE, was conceived out of the necessity to address the pressing challenges facing the youths, especially in the area of employment and the lack of opportunities for meaningful engagement.
He noted that the first phase entailed designing and deploying a digital platform for data collection, analysis and creating a parameter for the programme implementation.
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He 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.”
He advised Niger Delta youths to embrace the opportunities with zeal and determination, noting: “You are the architects of your destiny and the catalysts for regional transformation.”
“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.”
In his address, the NDDC Executive Director, Project, Sir Victor Antai, said that Project HOPE was more than just a project.
“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,” he stated.
He said that the success of Project HOPE depended on collaboration, urging government agencies, private sector partners, non-governmental organisations, community leaders, and the youths to wholeheartedly embrace the initiative.
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