In an exciting development, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced that 10,000 beneficiaries of its much-anticipated Youth Internship Scheme will begin receiving a N50,000 monthly stipend starting December 2024.
This revelation was made by the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, during his decoration as an Ambassador Extraordinaire of the University of Ibadan (UI) on Monday, at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.
The internship scheme, launched on August 5, 2024, attracted more than three million eager applicants. Ogbuku confirmed that training would soon commence and that selected youths will be attached to various organisations for one year, allowing them to develop essential skills.
“The Youth Internship Scheme and our Holistic Opportunity Projects of Engagement (HOPE) initiative will provide new pathways for youth empowerment across the Niger Delta,” Ogbuku stated. “We are committed to identifying their interests and helping them build skills for the future.”
Ogbuku also shared the Commission’s vision to foster partnerships with universities to solve critical societal problems. He invited higher institutions, including UI, to intensify their research efforts and assured the Commission’s readiness to fund projects, including vaccine production and solutions for social issues.
“We are determined to establish a legacy of sound ethics and good governance,” the NDDC MD said. Ogbuku added that KPMG, a global consultancy firm, had completed its review of the NDDC’s internal governance system, setting the stage for the rollout of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that will anchor the Commission’s operations.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, praised Ogbuku’s leadership, saying it exemplified the kind of impact Nigeria needs. “We honoured Ogbuku because of his transformation projects,” Adebowale stated.
As part of the university’s 75th-anniversary celebrations, Adebowale expressed pride in UI’s global standing, noting its consistency in leading Nigerian universities on Webometrics rankings and being the only Nigerian university to qualify for the Times Higher Education World Ranking in 2016.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof. Peter Olapegba described Ogbuku as a social scientist driving societal re-engineering. “We decided to celebrate worthy Nigerians to inspire future collaborations that will shape a better society,” Olapegba added.
In his closing remarks, Chief Boma Iyaye, the NDDC’s Executive Director of Finance and Administration, emphasized the Commission’s commitment to sustaining its relationship with the University of Ibadan. “This bridge of friendship will stand the test of time,” Iyaye promised.
Ogbuku further revealed that the NDDC would begin inaugurating completed projects in early December, cementing its position as a catalyst for change in the Niger Delta.
