The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has announced that the 10,000 selected beneficiaries of the Commission’s Youth Internship scheme will begin to receive N50,000 monthly stipend from December 2024.
Ogbuku disclosed this while being decorated as an Ambassador Extraordinaire of the University of Ibadan, by a delegation led by its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt on Monday.
He said the Youth Internship Scheme launched on August 5, 2024, in Port Harcourt, attracted applications from over three million youths who are eagerly waiting for the list of beneficiaries to be released and the training scheme to commence.
Ogbuku explained that the youths would be attached to organisations for one year to learn different skills. He said that apart from 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 MD further said this would identify the youths’ interests in skills training.
Ogbuku charged the University of Ibadan with stepping up its research activities, noting that the commission would assist universities in embarking on research in various areas to help solve some of society’s problems.
The NDDC Chief Executive stated, “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 that the honour bestowed on him by the University of Ibadan was an indication that the achievements of the NDDC were beginning to be appreciated by Nigerians. To add to these achievements he said, the Commission would commence the inauguration of more completed projects by the first week of December.
The Managing Director further stated that KPMG, a reputable global business consultancy that reviewed the Commission’s corporate governance system to improve its internal processes and institutional protocols, had completed the assignment.
Ogbuku expressed delight that the task of producing a Standard Operating Procedure, SOP, for the NDDC was completed successfully, assuring that it would ensure a strong institutional culture anchored on sound ethics and good corporate governance.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, applauded Ogbuku for the transformation projects and programmes undertaken by the NDDC under his leadership.
Adebowale declared, “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.”
Giving a brief on the university, the Vice Chancellor said, “The University of Ibadan holds a prideful place among universities in Nigeria and Africa and is also recognised globally. It has been consistently first in Webometric ranking for about 15 years. Interestingly, the University of Ibadan is the only Nigerian University to qualify for the Times Higher World University ranking in 2016.”
Also speaking, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Peter Olapegba, described the NDDC Managing Director as a social scientist who had contributed immensely to re-engineering the society.
He said, “We decided to celebrate worthy Nigerians and equally help build a future based on collaboration.”
In his remarks, the NDDC Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Chief Boma Iyaye, commended the delegation from the University of Ibadan for honouring the Commission and its Chief Executive Officer.
Chief Iyaye promised that the bridge of friendship between the university and the NDDC would endure.