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By Godwin Chukwumaechi
The Holistic Opportunities Projects Of Engagement (Project HOPE) of the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC has outlined a multi-sectoral approach to create job opportunities and empowerment programmes for youths of the Niger Delta region on the short term basis.
The approach which emphasises agriculture and technology also has in it music, arts and entertainment, internship and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises MSMEs.
Speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt, Resource Consultant to Project HOPE, Ambassador Fubara Blessing, said that the proposal was part of the quick impact actions and would cover all 9 Niger Delta states.
“We selected 5 specimens that we think are predominant self-resource areas for the youths”, he stated listing the first as agriculture.
He explained that the target was to explore the full agro value chain rather than the usual subsistence practice or what he described as from farm to table. “The essence here is to be able to actually create employment with it and enhance food sufficiency and security”, he stressed.
Fubara stated; “So we designed a scheme that looked at the advantage and terrain and of course the resources of the different states, then we planned farm input programmes that will come with processor chain.
“For Rivers State, we decided to do a casava farm and offshore fishing with a Tech hub. For Imo State we planned sugarcane plantation, sugar processor and a Tech hub. For Delta State we are looking at doing a casava farm, an automobile village and a Tech hub.
“For Ondo, we are doing a diary, for long term, with the production of milk, butter and cheese, we are doing casava as well and then a Tech hub. For Abia we are also doing a textile market and vegetables farm.
“For Akwa Ibom we are doing a vegetable farm, a rice farm and a Tech hub while Cross River we are doing a poultry, vegetable farm and a Tech hub.
“And for Bayelsa State, plantain/banana and snailry plus tech hub for short term them aquaculture for long term. Edo State, a furniture village, long term and cassava/processor and tech hub too, short term”, he said.
Fubara added; “We did not design this to leave it. We looked at the fundamentals that will make it possible for us to implement. For the agro part, the 3 key tenets that we need are land, the amount of land that we will need for this expansion, even though we also looked at developing small and large holder farmers so that they will be offtakers and feed to the processor chain but we went ahead to engage the communities.
He announced that all the states had agreed to the programme and have, each given the commission 100 hectares of land for the project and that with the approval of the NDDC boss, they would soon commence ground breaking and land preparation for planting by May.
In the music and arts industry, the project also mapped out 5 skills sets, namely the music production, cinematography, script and movie and creative skit content.
He said; “We all know that the creative industry is one of the most resourceful we have in Nigeria and Africa at large right now, and the MD/CEO has also approved of these specimen that we are launching for this weekend.
“Music and Arts Project for Niger Delta youths, where we are going to now establish an industry here in the region, create 27 PONDs Prides of Niger Delta.
“For the ones that are musicians, they will have an industry standard sign-on fees with house, car and sign-on fee and of course production session for 2 years.
“The ones are that are producers we have equipment that they will now use to continue production in the region. We are buying these equipment at the end of the 41 days of the scheme to establish that here.
“We also looked at the tech. Before now around the world, we were known as militants. Militant is like a nickname to us, why? Because of misrepresentation of our pattern of agitation for a better living. So we coined a tech programme – Militech. From arms to tech. We are changing the region into a tech hub. We approached the Rivers State government for partnership on the project and the governor accepted our partnership immediately, approving for us to use the Rivers State standard ICT Center to commence the Tech hub programme.
He stated that the project had established a desk for entrepreneural development. This would identify and empower genuine enterpreneurs both at the rural and urban areas. 370 will benefit at the micro level MSMEs at the rural area while 185 will be assisted at the small and medium scale level at the urban areas.
“We believe that if we stimulate small holder economy we should be able to hold the burden of hardship before we start doing long term sustainable projects”, he stated.
At the internship segment, technically competent youths like welders, trained by the NDDC would be sent on internship to companies already penned down by Project HOPE
Same for the hospitality industry, where the project has selected 10 hotels from each of the 9 states. The hotels will employ one manager each from the system, where they will pay 50% and NDDC will pay 50%. “We believe that this will be sustained to create job. We are also looking at medical internship”.
The project consultant stated that all the listed schemes that are quick impact actions, would have been launched in January but for the coming in of a new board which needed to be informed about the plans.
He added that the board having assessed the action plans, deploying experts has given it nod for the commencement of implementation.
He said; “The board came in and experts were invited to review the planned model and I will just say in summary we have a pass mark and the MD has approved commencement”.