Two organisations 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.
Mr. 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?
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 focusing on poverty reduction, job creation, critical sectors such as health, education, among others. Just three months ago, the World Health Organisation announced the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
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).
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 N0.5 million 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 and that is beside more than 200 business owners that have benefitted from the grants.
Mark Emuobo wrote from Port Harcourt, Rivers State,
