Niger Delta not denied access to PBT’s economic interventionist programmes — NDPA

Niger Delta not denied access to PBT’s economic interventionist programmes — NDPA

By Ifeanyi Olannye

The Niger Delta Progressives Alliance (NDPA) on Friday, said that youths in the region were not denied access to President Bola Tinubu’s economic interventionist policies and programmes but for ignorance, and inadequate information.

To curb the trend, the NDPA, a Non-Governmental Organisation, at the weekend in Asaba, commenced sensitisation exercise to educating the citizens on available opportunities, how and where to access such programmes and policies directly without paying to any third party.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sensitisation programme has as its theme, “Empirical Perspective on President Bola Tinubu: Offers in Two Years, A Strategic Engagement of Niger Deltans on Accessibility”.

Speaking during the programme, the NDPA Convener, Mr Victor Udoh, said the group’s target was to acquaint the people with the programmes of the federal government and massively equip them.

Udoh said: “NELFUND, the special student loan programme – Statistics of the 2024/2025 beneficiaries shows that 65 percent are northerners while 35 percent are from the south.

 “I can assure you that the 35 percent are from the South-West. It is not that our people were denied but because our people did not apply. They don’t think it is real.

“Now, we believe that by 2025/2026 engagement, we are going to have a lot of our people who will apply and benefit and ease their old parents in the communities of issues of school fees.

“Another example is SMEDAN, NDE and others. A lot of people are not taking part and we believe that if we can get a lot of people to take part because when people are empowered economically, you have a more secured and stable communities.”

Also speaking, Jator Abido, National Coordinator, Niger Delta Youth Council Worldwide and Paramount Ruler, Niger Delta Communities in the North, said that the statistics between the north and south on accessing the programmes is not comparable.

Abido, who also was a guest speaker, said available statistics showed that more northerners have access to federal government programmes than the southerners.

“These are among the reasons why we are being saddled with the responsibility to start taking the message of the policies and how the policies are to better the lives of the people of the region. Be it the SMEDAN, NELFUND and other presidential initiatives.

“The President in order to boost oil production in the region and the economy also awarded pipeline surveillance contracts to some companies like Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL).

“These companies have helped to end pipeline vandalism and oil theft, thus boosting oil production from less than a million barrels per day production to nearly two million barrels per day.

“They have created thousands of jobs for our youths, have delivered several Corporate Social Responsibility programmes like scholarships, trainings and skills acquisition programmes in the region,” he said.

Abido noted that the essence of the programmes was to drive the engine to the Niger Delta region to enable the people know that President Tinubu, via his “Renewed Hope” Agenda, meant well for all Nigerians and for the Niger Delta people.

“So, because of that, we are trying to re-orient them and to make them understand that it is not business as usual and it is not fun.

“The children and the students can benefit from the NELFUND with a loan from the government. You that are into entrepreneurship, and small and medium scale businesses can access funds from SMEDAN and also get the opportunity to access partnership.

“And they can help you off-take your goods and services. Like our brothers and sisters from the rural areas, that want to go into export, processing, SMEDAN can assist them, set a market for them where they can off-take and start exporting them.

“So, these are some of the reasons why the Niger Delta Progressives Alliance alongside the Nigeria Youth Council and our brother-company, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) started this, to showcase the benefits of these initiatives and how our Niger Delta people can benefit from them,” Abido said.

On his part, Mr Felix Ejenavi, NDPA Secretary-General, said the sensitisation which started in Rivers, would be taken to all the states of the region.

In his remarks, Delta state Commissioner for Youth Development, ThankGod Trakiriowei, Lauded the group for coming up with the sensitisation exercise to acquaint the people of the benefits available and how to access them.

He, however, appreciated President Tinubu and Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori for putting up transformative Polices and programmes that impact positively on the lives of the citizens.

Trakiriowei urged Niger Delta youths to take advantage of the available opportunities provided by government through various programmes and platforms to empower themselves and improve their lives.(NAN)