Some youth groups across the Niger Delta region have endorsed the Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) Holistic Opportunity Projects of Engagement (HOPE).

This was done during a robust engagement between Project HOPE handlers and all youth bodies in the Niger Delta Region.

The youth groups, which include the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), the Niger Delta Youth Movement (NDYM), and a host of others, took turns to endorse the Holistic Opportunity Projects of Engagement (HOPE).

The groups also affirmed their confidence in the current Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Samuel Ogbuku (PhD), adding that the NDDC under his watch has witnessed a tremendous positive turnaround.

They also promised to do all they could to ensure the project succeeded.

Ambassador Blessing Fubara, who is the resource consultant for the Holistic Opportunity Projects of Engagement (HOPE), while making a presentation to the various youth representatives, said: “First, we must appreciate the sincerity of the Dr Samuel Ogbuku-led NDDC board for keying into our idea and showing a willingness to fund it 100 per cent.

“The idea for Project Hope was born based on the need to turn around the fortunes of Niger Delta youths and engage them in meaningful activities so as to change the narratives and mindsets of people who see Niger Delta youths as militants and misfits.

“What we started with was getting a database of every youth in the Niger Delta region to ensure we knew what each could do and saw what suited who.

“Project Hope covers several areas of human capital development, ranging from agriculture, science and technology, fish farming, vocational skills, and creative arts.

“It will interest you to know we have secured at least 100 hectares of land in the nine states of the Niger Delta region.

“We intend to go into full-scale mechanised farming and are projecting to employ at least 1,000 persons per state, which means 9,000 persons in the whole of the Niger Delta. This is achievable because agriculture, though mechanised, will still need physical manpower at different stages.

“For the fish farming, we will procure large fishing vessels and employ Niger Delta youths to man and manage them. For science and technology, we will train youths between 6 and 9 months with globally accepted tech skills and set up tech hubs in each state in the region.

“When we approached the Rivers State Government, they graciously approved property for us to set up the tech centre because they knew the importance of technology. A lot of the artists keep migrating to Lagos because of the market and the enabling environment.

“We did a survey and several consultations with IPMAN and came to the conclusion that the solution will be to set up entertainment villages where artists, producers, skit makers, and cinematographers will be trained and funded afterwards. This is because we want to touch every category of Niger Delta youth.” (TribuneOnlineng.com)