Niger Delta youths asked to look beyond oil, build culture of entrepreneurship

Critical stakeholders across Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region have urged youths to strive to build a culture of entrepreneurship, and look away from the decades-old dependency on crude oil.

The charge was given on Saturday at the third Niger Delta MSME summit held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom state.

In his opening remarks, chief convener of the summit, Moses Siasia, noted that this narrative if adhered to, will transform youths in the region into competitive business owners, and place them at par with their peers globally.

At the event which held symbolically on the same day as the International Youth Day, Siasia who doubles at the Chairman of the Nigerian Young Professional Forum (NYPF) and the Niger Delta Young Professionals (NDYP), regretted that young people have been “malnourished by broken promises”, leaving them abandoned.

To bridge this gap, he said the organisers – the Niger Delta Young Professionals (NDYP), is working to provide opportunities for young people engaging in productive ventures to thrive.

“We want our young people who are entrepreneurs to understand that the future is theirs, and that the future is entrepreneurship. The world today is diverting from hydrocarbon. We are talking about Energy Transition, Climate Change. These are where the world interests are driving to, so we must conform to modern realities. This is why we are doing this to reshape the entrepreneurial culture in the region.”

The convener emphasised the need for state governments across the Niger Delta to partner and support the initiative.

He recalled that in the past editions of the summit held in Delta and Rivers states, as well Saturday’s edition in Akwa Ibom, governments of the region did not show support for an initiative that is deliberately thought out to positively impact the lives of young Niger Deltans.

He cautioned young people to consider exploring the social media to promote their brands and businesses, rather than jumping on it as a tool to abuse political office holders.

Similarly, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), harped on the need for youths to key into the initiative, adding that it already has the database of youths in the region, with which it is working to create enormous opportunities to improve their lives.

Samuel Ogbuku, managing director of the NDDC, who was represented by Obayelu Patrick, Commercial and Industrial Development Directorate (CID), NDDC, expressed passion for the initiative and assured of the Commission’s continuous support.

In his goodwill message, Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd), interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), urged youths to “rise above the entitlement mentality”.

He charged the youths to take advantage of the global food crisis to key into the agricultural sector, with a deliberate plan to address the shortfall.

Represented by Musa Wilfred, PAP’s Head of Reintegration, Ndiomu advised the youths to be innovative and begin to think out of the box and explore the enormous opportunities before them.