Young professionals changing realities in the Niger Delta

BY EMMANUEL OBISUE
Introduction:

A new wave of an eye-catching development is sweeping across the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s oil rich region. A twin organizations for young people – the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF) and Niger Delta Young Professionals (NDYP) have launched an aggressive campaign built on innovative entrepreneurship, empowerment and capacity building programmes that are positively shaping the image and the future of the region.

The narrative of the region is changing fast and the testimonies of impacts among the beneficiaries across the nine states are embarrassing the billions-guzzling, many failed empowerment programmes funded by the federal and states governments in the area.

The platforms provide opportunities for young people to engage in productive ventures. They empower huge number of young people who are quitting crimes and other vices in their thousands, and with more than two million membership spread across 15 countries, NYPF is not just creating jobs and building capacity among the young people, it has become a sort of a ground-breaking movement.

Moses Siasia is the Chairman of the NYPF and Convener of NDYP who is leading this revolution. His common phrase is “create opportunities, build capacity of the young people, empower and strategically engage them”. He has been pushing for the establishment of youth entrepreneurship hub in the Niger Delta region. But the question is: will the nine state governments of the oil rich region heed his call?

He is a young man whose vision started on the platform of the NDYP and now NYPF. He has been using these platforms to create sustainable livelihoods, and building the capacity of young people in Nigeria and beyond. He has been organizing summits at which he empowers hundreds and thousands of jobless and unemployed young people in many states of the area, including Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Enugu, Cross Rivers, Edo, Bayelsa, Lagos, Kano, FCT etc.

NYPF/NDYP And Africa/Global Development Agenda:

More interesting is the fact that, beyond the local space, there is a seamless rhythm between the /NDYP/NYPF’s empowerment programme in the Niger Delta and African and global development community’s agenda.

The NYPF’s advocacy, for instance, is coming in the wake of post COVID-19 recovery era when world leaders are focussing on poverty reduction, job creation, critical sectors such as health, education, among others. Just three months ago, the World Health Organization announced the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Similarly, African leaders are renewing efforts to redesign and reposition the continent’s developmental strategy with a view to reducing poverty, unemployment, crimes and to strengthen the economy, unity, development and governance of the continent through the recent launch of ‘Agenda 2063’ by the African Union (AU).

Agenda 2063 prioritises inclusive social and economic development, continental and regional integration, democratic governance and peace and security amongst other issues aimed at repositioning Africa to becoming a dominant player in the global arena. All these are equally entwined in the United Nations policy on Social Development Goals (SDGs).

Building Capacity/Empowerment:

In the 2023 Summit organised by NDYP/NYPF, 1,600 owners of Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in the region benefited. Every beneficiary went home with N0.5m grant each to support and increase the capacities of their businesses.

For the record, the organisation has successfully created over 4,922 direct and indirect jobs through grants, has trained more than 2,304 business owners on various entrepreneurship skills, that is beside more than 200 business owners that have benefitted from the grants.

This was disclosed at the third Niger Delta Micro Small and Enterprises Summit held at Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State on August 12, 2023, by the Convener of the Summit, Siasia. The theme of the summit was “Building the Culture of Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness Beyond Oil”.

Concerning the event, the convener said that, “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 so as to reshape the entrepreneurial culture in the region”, he said.

There was a goodwill message from Major-General Barry Ndiomu (rtd), interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), who urged youths to “rise above the entitlement mentality” and embrace the opportunities given to them by the summit to be meaningfully engaged in productive activities.

Several beneficiaries of past editions who received grants to grow their businesses testified openly, admitting that they were able to grow their businesses and created employment opportunities for other prospective MSMEs.

A report at the summit revealed that at the inaugural edition of the summit held in 2021 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over 400 Niger Deltans benefited from the NIRSAL Intervention Loan for small business owners in the area of Agriculture.

Siasia reiterated that “crude oil does not belong to the future economy; the future belongs to agriculture, renewable energy, information technology, and the knowledge-driven economy. This is where MSMEs can thrive and provide enabling platforms for prosperity and sustainable development”.

It is noteworthy that this year’s Summit featured product exhibitions, grants, main-stage keynotes, panel discussions, interactive master sessions, style breakout, business-to-business meetings, mentoring sessions, networking opportunities featuring outstanding line-up of successful entrepreneurs, Innovators, strategists and business leaders from top brands. Participants were between the ages of 20 – 45 years.

The Summit equally held last year in Asaba, and in Port Harcourt in 2021 as well, preached the same message.

For instance, in Asaba last year, Siasia and stakeholders tasked governors of the region to invest more in human capacity building and create purposeful opportunities for young people, especially entrepreneurs and start-ups. The second Niger Delta MSME summit was held on Saturday, February 19, 2022 with the theme: “Stimulating MSMEs Growth Towards Post Covid-19 Recovery”.

Explaining the purpose of the gathering, the Convener of the Summit, Siasia, explained that the event was aimed at “creating a platform for young business owners to interface with agencies of government and stakeholders on how to access information, credit facility and grants, as well as build strategic relationships and networks”.

He also said the summit focussed on correcting a perception, particularly the wrong image in which militancy and other forms of unrest hitherto perpetrated by the population of the youth of the area has created. “Today, if you go to Google and search for Niger Delta youths, what you will see are youths with guns inside speed boat and all those bad stuffs.

“We must change that negative narrative. This is not the narrative of the Niger Delta people, our leaders must help us to change that narrative because the time for politics is over in today’s world. We are in the 4th industrial revolution where people are using digital intelligence and technology to change the world’s economies.

“We must conform to modern reality and that is why we are doing this MSME Summit to help our young people, so that they can build the capacity to create sustainable livelihood for themselves, their families and the society,” he maintained.

Siasia used the platform to call on successful billionaires from the Niger Delta area such as Tony Elumelu, CEO of Heirs Holdings; Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe, Group Managing Director of Access Bank; Jim Ovia, Chairman of Zenith Bank; Atedo Peterside CON, Founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank and many others to look homeward and invest in the youths through sustainable empowerment programmes.

Entrepreneurship Hub:

It is difficult for such a laudable to meet it’s target without a strategic plan or approach. Other countries are building entrepreneurship hub, providing opportunities for their young people to develop and grow their talents and efforts. Why not the Niger Delta region? Why not Nigeria?

Serious countries around the world are already consolidating on their entrepreneurship hubs while others have begun in earnest. The US’ Silicon Valley is leading the packs. California is literarily covered with tech hubs. France, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Brazil, China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea all have created thriving startup ecosystems. According to Business Insider magazine, “Indian hub of Bangalore has had explosive growth in the last few years”.

It is embarrassing that Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy is behind South Africa, Rwanda, Morocco and Kenya are leading Nigeria in start-up ecosystem, followed by Tunisia, Ghana, Botswana, Cameroon and Egypt.

At the 2021 Summit in Port Harcourt, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, admitted that “Nigeria ranks poorly in terms of human capacity development index”. Such an entrepreneurship culture and drive, he said, would enhance capacity building and human development.

Also, this was a major issue that dominated the Port Harcourt Summit where stakeholders recommended and called for the establishment of a “Niger Delta Entrepreneurship Development Hub (NDED-HUB)” to serve as a training platform for teeming youths in the region.

The NYPF/NDYP are therefore advocating that state governments across the nine Niger Delta states should come up with a blueprint towards that can lead to the creation of an entrepreneurship hub on the region.

On the words of Siasia, “The need for governments in the region to build an ecosystem that will help young business owners and those engaging in legitimate and productive ventures to thrive is very urgent”.

Of course, this requires mobilising resources, partnership with other stakeholders. This will expand the opportunities for the teaming youths of the region.

Partnership and Collaboration:

For the purpose of sustainability of such a programme, there are needs for institutional partnership and collaboration with all levels of government, private sector, local and international partners.

It is also critical for all the relevant stakeholders to seriously consider partnering with the government at all levels to build an entrepreneurship hub in the Niger Delta area. This will expand the opportunities for young people.

Funding Gap:

The programmes of capacity building and empowerment are very costly. The NYPF/NDYP have been investing hundreds of millions of Naira on the platforms without financial support from the public or private institutions. The state governments in the region are yet to show any serious support to the efforts of the programmes; ironically, they spend billions of Naira in empowerment programmes without any success story and the funds are not accounted for.

The CEO of BlueCamel Energy Limited, Suleiman Yusuf, lamented at the Asaba Summit that, failure of government at all levels to fund youth development was largely responsible for increased rate of crimes in the society. He said that, “This problem exists because there are no jobs and support mechanisms to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship among youths. Unless jobs are created and young people are engaged, there will be no peace in the Niger Delta and other regions.

“Government and well-to-do individuals must begin to allocate resources towards human capacity development, especially for young people who are leaders of tomorrow,” he submitted.

But against all odds, young people are more than determined to effect a positive change in their society, with or without government support. They have resolved to creating a new identity and future for themselves and the next generation.

They believe in themselves and they want to tell their own story. They do not want miscreants and corrupt leaders to speak for them. They want to create their entity that reflects the reality of the moment in the global community.

“I believe that we can change the negative narrative in region and create a better future for ourselves and our children”, Mr. Siasia said. He added saying, “Like Abraham Lincoln said, ‘The most reliable way to predict the future is to create it’. Through the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum, what we are doing is to create the type of future we want to see among ourselves, especially among the youth and the next generation and I have the singular privilege to lead this movement”, Siasia said.

Siasia in a statement made available to newsmen after the Asaba Summit, noted that despite lack of support from government, poor management of MSMEs, high-interest loans from banks, corruption, and inadequate infrastructure, the initiative has made sustainable impacts over the years.

To bridge this gap, he said the organizers of the Niger Delta MSME Summit are desirous to enable MSMEs achieve growth and address the persistent problems of unemployment, crimes, and other vices in the oil-rich region.

Stakeholders tasked state governments in the region to make indelible investments in building human capacity and creating enabling platforms for entrepreneurship development.

Siasia, A Street Hawker-Turned Media Empire Owner, Humanitarian:

The empowerment programme of Siasia is directly linked to his own struggles growing up in the area. This Bayelsa-born street hawker knows every street in Port Harcourt, the richest oil state in Nigeria where he used to hustle for his daily survival. In his early childhood, “survival was like a daily war. Food, clothing and shelter that are the basic needs of every man were a big luxury. I had to cope with poverty, unemployment, hunger and despair”, he said.

However, through a dint of hard work, fortune smiled on him. Today, he runs a multimedia and communication empire that has continued to expand beyond Nigeria to other African countries, the United States, United kingdom, among others.

Siasia has therefore taken it upon himself to move from city to city, one community to another with an upwardly mobile team, empowering young people with his personal resources from his business. He is not only teaching them and providing grants for entrepreneurs and start-ups, he is inspiring hope in them, encouraging them on the virtues of hard work, determination towards success in life.

This has on no small measure contributed to the drastic reduction in violent agitation and crimes by jobless and idle young people in the area.

Siasia’s empowerment programmes, no doubt, compliment, not just the federal and state governments efforts in the region, but equally typify the multi-million dollars humanitarian projects of the United Nations policy on Social Development Goals (SDGs), European Union (EU), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank (WB), USAIDS, UKAIDS, among others towards youth-centred development programmes in the Niger Delta region.

Obisue writes from Asaba, Delta State.