The Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has said 10,000 beneficiaries of the commission’s youth internship scheme will get N50,000 monthly stipend as from December.
Ogbuku announced this when he was decorated as an Ambassador Extraordinaire of the University of Ibadan (UI) by a delegation led by its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The NDDC boss said the scheme, which was launched on August 5 in Port Harcourt, had attracted applications from over 3 million youths who have been waiting for the list of beneficiaries to be released and the training to start.
He said the youths would be attached to organisations for one year to learn different skills.
Ogbuku explained that besides the internship programme, the NDDC had also given more opportunities and hope to Niger Delta youths through a novel programme called Holistic Opportunity Projects of Engagement (HOPE).
The NDDC boss urged UI to step up its research activities, promising that the commission would assist universities in embarking on research in various areas to solve some of the society’s problems.
He said: “We are ready to sponsor research, partner with universities to produce life-saving vaccines and produce lasting solutions for medical and social problems.”
Ogbuku said the honour bestowed on him by the university indicated that NDDC’s achievements were beginning to be appreciated by Nigerians.
In his remarks, Prof. Adebowale hailed Ogbuku for NDDC’s transformation projects and programmes under his leadership.
He said: “We felt it necessary to honour those who have significantly impacted the lives of people in society. That is why we identified Dr Ogbuku as deserving of recognition as we marked the 75th anniversary of the University of Ibadan.”
NDDC’s Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye, praised the university for honouring the commission and Ogbuku.