The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has initiated the first phase of its flagship youth empowerment program, the Holistic Opportunity Project of Engagement (Project HOPE).
The Commission has commenced training for 370 supervisors and collation officers to facilitate registration and collation for the program across the region.
Project HOPE, a key initiative under the leadership of NDDC Managing Director Samuel Ogbuku, aims to create a comprehensive database from which youths in the region can be engaged in empowerment initiatives. The program has the ambitious goal of creating ten thousand jobs, and the current training phase involving selected youths from the 185 local government areas of the Niger Delta marks a significant step toward achieving this objective.
Speaking at the training launch held at the Rivers State Information Technology Centre in Port Harcourt, Ogbuku emphasized the NDDC’s commitment to equipping youths in the region with essential skills for self-reliance and productivity. He assured participants that the Commission was dedicated to implementing every aspect of the program for the overall benefit of the region.
The facilitator of the program, Mr. Blessing Fubara, provided context for the training, explaining that Project HOPE is a deliberate effort by the NDDC to offer sustainable solutions for youth engagement and regional development. The program, divided into two phases, involves creating selection and implementation parameters, training supervisors and collation officers, and subsequently engaging and training 10,000 youths in local governments and rural areas of the Niger Delta.
Fubara highlighted the transparency in the selection process and assured participants that those engaged in each phase of the project would be remunerated in line with prevailing salary structures. Participants praised the NDDC for the transparency in the program and expressed hope for the sustainability of Project HOPE, acknowledging its potential to transform the lives of youths in the oil-rich region.
