The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has said its latest empowerment programme is designed to generate employment opportunities for youths, encourage entrepreneurship, and curb social vices across the region.
The initiative includes the distribution of 200 tricycles, 150 mini buses, and ₦250,000 grants to 500 beneficiaries in the southern senatorial district of Cross River State in the South-South region.
One of the beneficiaries, Arit Agbor from Akamkpa Local Government Area, expressed gratitude to the NDDC and Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong for the intervention, which she described as timely.
“I am very happy. I was looking for money to put into my crayfish business, considering that crayfish has become very expensive. This will help me and others become financially independent and support our families,” she said.
The Senator representing Cross River Southern Senatorial District, Asuquo Ekpenyong, who facilitated the programme in collaboration with the NDDC and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), urged beneficiaries to use the items productively rather than sell them.
Ekpenyong explained that the empowerment scheme was part of broader efforts to complement the developmental agenda of Governor Bassey Otu and expand economic opportunities across the state.
The Executive Director of Projects at the NDDC, represented by Cross River State Director Daniel Ajunwa, said the programme was designed to engage young people productively and improve livelihoods at the grassroots.
He noted that the initiative reflects the Commission’s commitment to sustainable development and economic inclusion in the Niger Delta region.
The Director of Commercial and Industrialisation at the NDDC, Linda Okara, said beneficiaries were selected through stakeholder recommendations to ensure transparency and grassroots participation.
She reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to programmes that promote self-reliance and long-term economic growth among youths in the Niger Delta.
Beneficiaries were drawn from seven local government areas, including Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Biase, Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, and Odukpani, all within the southern senatorial district of Cross River State.
