By Charles Pemu 
ASABA, DELTA STATE—Worried by the significantly low participation of young people from the Niger Delta in federal government employment and loan initiatives, the Niger Delta Progressives Alliance (NDPA) has launched a strategic sensitization campaign aimed at improving economic stability and security across the region.
The initiative, kicked off with a forum in Asaba over the weekend, seeks to equip Niger Delta youths with timely information on how to access national empowerment programmes such as the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
The Convener of NDPA, Victor Udoh, explained that the campaign was driven by the realization that many people in the Niger Delta were missing out, not due to deliberate exclusion, but because they lacked access to the right and timely information.
Udoh cited a worrying disparity in participation, noting a trend exemplified by the recent NELFUND student loan programme. He stated, “In the 2024/2025 NELFUND student loan programme, 65 percent of beneficiaries are from the North, while 35 percent are from the South – and most of that 35 percent are from the South-West. It’s not that our people were denied; they simply didn’t apply. Many don’t even believe these opportunities are real.”
The campaign, themed “Empirical Perspective on President Tinubu’s Offers in Two Years: A Strategic Engagement of Niger Deltans on Accessibility,” aims to empower citizens to access government programmes directly, without the interference of middlemen or illegal charges.
Both the NDPA and the Niger Delta Youth Council Worldwide stressed the correlation between economic empowerment and community security.
Udoh emphasized that increased participation in federal initiatives would strengthen the region’s economic base and deepen the peace process. “When people are economically empowered, communities become more secure and stable,” he said, confirming the group is taking this message “from state to state across the Niger Delta.”
Echoing this concern, Engineer Jator Abido, National Co-ordinator of the Niger Delta Youth Council Worldwide, observed that the information gap between northern and southern youths remains wide. He urged his people to take advantage of initiatives like NELFUND and SMEDAN, which “can change lives positively.”
Abido commended the federal government’s efforts to support the region, specifically praising the award of pipeline surveillance contracts to companies like Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL).
He described PINL as being deeply committed to the Niger Delta’s development, noting that their operations have played a major role in curbing pipeline vandalism and oil theft, resulting in an alleged increase in oil production from under one million barrels per day to nearly two million. He also highlighted PINL’s role in creating thousands of jobs, funding scholarships, training, and skills acquisition programmes for youths.
The sensitization drive, which began in Rivers State, will extend to all nine states in the region, as confirmed by Felix Ejenavi, Secretary-General of the NDPA. Delta State Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. ThankGod Trakiriowei, urged youths to seize both federal and state opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods.