By Iquo Williams, Port Harcourt
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Nigeria has trained 100 youths from across the Niger Delta region following the completion of a six-month intensive training in fashion and design, aimed at equipping them with creative and entrepreneurial skills for self-reliance.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Port Harcourt, Southern Nigeria, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, expressed delight at the milestone, describing it as a major step in the Commission’s renewed focus on sustainable youth empowerment.
Ogbuku said the programme was part of NDDC’s commitment to building human capacity across the region and shifting its development agenda “from transaction to transformation.”
“We don’t believe in quantity; we believe in quality. In the past, we trained thousands for a few days and gave out starter packs. This time, we camped participants for six months to ensure real transformation,” Ogbuku said.
He noted that the Commission had adopted a digitised database to select trainees based on competence and interest, ensuring that only dedicated and qualified candidates benefited from the initiative.
The NDDC boss added that the Commission would continue to track beneficiaries’ progress to assess the long-term impact of the empowerment programme.
“With the skills you have acquired, you have been empowered. Go out there, make your families proud, make Nigeria proud, and make the Niger Delta proud,” Ogbuku charged the graduates.
He also revealed that the next phase of the Commission’s youth empowerment initiative would focus on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), in line with Nigeria’s energy transition plan. The CNG programme, he explained, will train youths in emerging energy technologies and create new employment pathways in the green economy.
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Also speaking, the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Dr. Victor Antai, said the empowerment initiative aligns with the Commission’s broader strategy of fostering human capital development, wealth creation, and social stability across the Niger Delta region.
“We are not only training youths for self-reliance; we are also equipping them with industrial sewing machines, generators, and logistics support to help them start their businesses,” Antai stated.
Antai highlighted other recent empowerment schemes undertaken by the Commission, including training in welding, fabrication, scaffolding, and pipefitting, all part of NDDC’s drive to diversify skills acquisition opportunities for young people in the region.
The Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Boma Iyaye, described the fashion industry as one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, urging the beneficiaries to remain innovative and committed to excellence.
“Fashion is a billion-dollar global industry. With dedication and creativity, you can transform these skills into thriving businesses that contribute to the local and national economy,” Iyaye said.
Applying knowledge gained
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Ifedayo Abegunde, encouraged the graduates to apply their knowledge productively, stressing that the Commission’s goal was to empower them for lasting impact.
“You have not been given fish to eat, but you have been taught how to fish,” Abegunde said. “It is now your responsibility to make good use of the opportunity and become employers of labour.”
The training consultant, Mr. Greg Daniel, commended the NDDC for sustaining its commitment to youth empowerment, noting that most of the participants started the programme with little or no experience but had acquired both technical and business management skills over the six-month training.
“These young men and women can now operate industrial sewing machines, design garments professionally, and manage fashion enterprises,” Daniel said. “It’s a transformation story that reflects what the NDDC stands for.”
One of the beneficiaries, Miss Grace Nwaechefom, expressed gratitude to the NDDC and its partners for what she described as a life-changing opportunity.
“I came into this programme without any prior experience, but today I can design and sew professionally,” she said. “This initiative has given me confidence to start my own business and support my family.”
The empowerment programme, according to the Commission, forms part of its broader effort to create employment, stimulate entrepreneurship, and reduce youth restiveness in the Niger Delta.
Through structured training, provision of start-up equipment, and post-training support, the NDDC aims to transform thousands of young people into skilled entrepreneurs capable of driving innovation and economic growth in the region.