The Niger Delta Progressives Alliance (NDPA) has clarified that young people in the Niger Delta region were not deliberately excluded from President Bola Tinubu’s economic empowerment programmes. According to the group, lack of awareness and inadequate access to information were the major reasons many in the region have not benefited from the initiatives.
To address this gap, the NDPA, a Non-Governmental Organisation, launched a sensitisation campaign in Asaba at the weekend aimed at enlightening citizens on available opportunities and guiding them on how to access government programmes directly, without middlemen. The event, themed “Empirical Perspective on President Bola Tinubu: Offers in Two Years, A Strategic Engagement of Niger Deltans on Accessibility,” drew participants from across the region.
Speaking at the event, NDPA Convener, Mr. Victor Udoh, said the exercise was designed to help citizens understand and participate in federal government programmes that could improve their lives.
Udoh said: “NELFUND, the special student loan programme – Statistics of the 2024/2025 beneficiaries shows that 65 percent are northerners while 35 percent are from the south.
“I can assure you that the 35 percent are from the South-West. It is not that our people were denied but because our people did not apply. They don’t think it is real.
“Now, we believe that by 2025/2026 engagement, we are going to have a lot of our people who will apply and benefit and ease their old parents in the communities of issues of school fees.
“Another example is SMEDAN, NDE and others. A lot of people are not taking part and we believe that if we can get a lot of people to take part because when people are empowered economically, you have more secured and stable communities.”
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Youth Council Worldwide and Paramount Ruler of Niger Delta Communities in the North, Jator Abido, lamented the imbalance between the North and South in accessing federal initiatives.
Abido, who served as a guest speaker, said: “These are among the reasons why we are being saddled with the responsibility to start taking the message of the policies and how the policies are to better the lives of the people of the region. Be it the SMEDAN, NELFUND and other presidential initiatives.
“The President in order to boost oil production in the region and the economy also awarded pipeline surveillance contracts to some companies like Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL).
“These companies have helped to end pipeline vandalism and oil theft, thus boosting oil production from less than a million barrels per day production to nearly two million barrels per day.
“They have created thousands of jobs for our youths, have delivered several Corporate Social Responsibility programmes like scholarships, trainings and skills acquisition programmes in the region.”
Abido noted that the essence of the awareness drive was to enlighten Niger Deltans about President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and its benefits for all Nigerians, especially those in the oil-rich region.
He added: “The children and the students can benefit from the NELFUND with a loan from the government. You that are into entrepreneurship, and small and medium scale businesses can access funds from SMEDAN and also get the opportunity to access partnership.
“And they can help you off-take your goods and services. Like our brothers and sisters from the rural areas, that want to go into export, processing, SMEDAN can assist them, set a market for them where they can off-take and start exporting them.
“So, these are some of the reasons why the Niger Delta Progressives Alliance alongside the Nigeria Youth Council and our brother-company, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) started this, to showcase the benefits of these initiatives and how our Niger Delta people can benefit from them.”
NDPA Secretary-General, Mr. Felix Ejenavi, disclosed that the campaign began in Rivers State and would be extended to other states in the region.
In his remarks, Delta State Commissioner for Youth Development, ThankGod Trakiriowei, commended the group for taking the initiative to educate the people on government programmes and how to access them.
He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for implementing transformative policies that continue to improve the lives of citizens. Trakiriowei also urged Niger Delta youths to take full advantage of the numerous opportunities made available through government platforms to empower themselves and contribute meaningfully to national development.
