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NDDC launches portal for 10,0000 youth empowerment scheme
NDDC launches portal for 10,0000 youth empowerment scheme
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has begun a process of fulfilling its promise to empower 10,000 youths with N50,000 monthly stipends each and skills.
The commission on Tuesday formally launched the Youth Internship Scheme portal to kickstart the programme.
Speaking at the unveiling of the portal, the Chairman, NDDC Governing Board, Chiedu Ebie, said the initiative would transform lives of beneficiaries.
It was learnt that the scheme, designed as a free online programme, sought to address the pressing issues of lack of education and skill among youths in the Niger Delta.
Ebie stressed that the programme was designed to provide a stipend during the internship period, enabling participants to learn skills.and become self-sufficient.
He said every applicant would register online to eliminate intermediaries adding that age limit of 45 years was set for it to allow for only legitimate beneficiaries.
He said the registration process was also designed to cater for people with special needs.
He said: “There is an age limit, we are not going to take pensioners and they will come and hide under the youth scheme. If you are over 45 years please, do not apply. I beg of you. Because you are not too far from retirement age.
“Leave it for the youths that will still have at least two or three decades of work life and active life. When you do that, you will be denying legitimate beneficiaries the opportunity to get on the programme.”
In his remarks, the Managing Director and CEO of the Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, warned would-be beneficiaries to conduct themselves properly or face expulsion.
He emphasised that quarterly reports would be used to assess participants’ behavior adding that any misconduct would lead to removal from the scheme.
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He said: “We want the youths to take advantage of this. For those who are going to successful in the selection, wherever you are being sent to, try and also be a good ambassador of the Niger Delta youths by making yourself of being of good conduct.
“This because your conduct is the only guarantee that can sustain you in this scheme. You are being taken does not mean it is employment. Because we have a consultant who is the lead consultant and nine other consultants who are also going to take care of every state.
“These consultants are going to be writing quarterly reports and in this reports if you are indicted not to be of good conduct, you would be taken out of the scheme. So you should understand that the guarantee of you being on the scheme is in your hands, in your conducts or else you have yourself to blame.
“Coming to today’s event, this is the official launch of the NDDC Internship Scheme where we are going to empower 10,000 youths in the Niger Delta, engaging them in various internships, ranging from Technology, automobile, craftsmanship, Community Service, Finance, Sports, Medical, Maritime Agriculture, and Arts”.
Ogbuku highlighted the transparency of the online process, saying it would ensure equal distribution of benefits among states, based on crude oil production quota.
He said: Each state will have a flat rate of 500 participants before production quota and distribution are considered.
“The selection process will be done based on eventuality of states and quota of production. Because that has been the standard of which NDDC uses in distributing its benefits.
“That is to say, it does not matter because the MD is from Bayelsa State, that does mean that Bayelsa will have more than Dalta State that has more in terms of crude oil production. But we will still use equality of states, and we tagged it at 500, that means every state will have 500 flat rate before we will to production quota and distribution.”
Ogbuku, however, assured participants that the database was robust, with six servers to prevent portal crashes.
He said: “I want to assure you that the database, we have tested it, and it is very strong. It has six servers and they are strong that even with the pressure the portal is having right now, in anticipation of the pressure, the six servers will be a backup and the portal will not crash. Be rest assured that we are fully prepared for this scheme.
“We are going to ensure to engage other agencies of government that are relevant to such programmes to partner with them to ensure that whatever our quota is, we must get.”
NDDC launches portal for 10,0000 youth empowerment scheme
News
Yahaya Bello reports to EFCC office with lawyers
Yahaya Bello reports to EFCC office with lawyers
A former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Tuesday visited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to honour another invitation extended to him over alleged misappropriation of funds.
Bello went to the anti-graft office with his lawyers in the morning.
The ex-Kogi governor reportedly drove himself to the EFCC’s office in a black Toyota Hilux van with some lawyers.
He was said to have been taken by some operatives of the agency and are currently being grilled.
This is coming after the Supreme Court judgment which dismissed a suit brought by some state governments challenging the constitutionality of the agency.
The EFCC at the last hearing on November 14, sought the adjournment till November 27 in the fresh case it instituted against Bello.
It stated that the 30-day window was still running for the summons earlier issued.
News
Just in: Ebonyi governor suspends two commissioners, Perm Sec for misconduct
Just in: Ebonyi governor suspends two commissioners, Perm Sec for misconduct
Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has announced the immediate suspension of two commissioners with a permanent secretary among others for gross misconduct.
Those suspended are the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development Francis Ori, and the Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma, with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health.
The suspension followed an incident on Saturday night, when the governor reportedly visited the Ministry of Health’s premises and was said to have found six officials diverting government materials.
Others suspended for three months are the Executive Secretaries of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency
The suspension order was announced by the state Commissioner for Information, Jude Okpor, who cited alleged misconduct and dereliction of duties as the reasons for the disciplinary actions.
Okpor made the disclosure on Tuesday during a press briefing on the outcomes of the State Executive Council meeting held on Monday at the New Government House in Abakaliki, the state capital.
“Following cases of gross misconduct and dereliction of duties by some government officials and matters related thereto, the Chairman of Council directed the indefinite suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development and three months suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Health, respectively
“In view of the development, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Primary Health was directed to take charge of the ministry in the absence of the suspended commissioner.
Governor Nwifuru directed the suspended government officials to hand over all government properties in their possession including vehicles to the Secretary to the State Government.
News
Why we’re borrowing despite surplus revenues – FG
Why we’re borrowing despite surplus revenues – FG
The Federal Government has defended its decision to borrow to address budget deficits, despite surpassing revenue targets in 2024.
Finance Minister Wale Edun and Budget Minister Atiku Bagudu clarified this position during a session with the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Finance, Budget, and National Planning. The meeting focused on the 2025–2027 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
Last week, the National Assembly approved President Bola Tinubu’s $2.2 billion loan request to fund the N9.7 trillion deficit in the 2024 budget partially.
During the session, key agency heads, including Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) CEO Mele Kyari, Customs Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi, and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman Zacch Adedeji, presented their revenue reports.
The agencies reported exceeding their 2024 targets.
- Customs Service: Generated ₦5.352 trillion by September 30, surpassing its ₦5.09 trillion target for the year. For 2025, the agency projects ₦6.3 trillion, with a 10% increase planned for 2026.
- NNPCL: Achieved ₦13.1 trillion in revenue, exceeding the ₦12.3 trillion projection for 2024. Kyari announced a ₦23.7 trillion revenue target for 2025.
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- FIRS: Surpassed multiple tax collection goals, including ₦5.7 trillion from company income tax against a ₦4 trillion target. Education tax collections also exceeded expectations, reaching ₦1.5 trillion compared to a ₦70 billion target.
Overall, ₦18.5 trillion of the ₦19.4 trillion 2024 revenue target had been achieved by September, indicating the goal will be exceeded by year-end.
Despite these surpluses, the government insists borrowing remains essential to cover budget gaps and support vulnerable populations.
Bagudu explained, “Even with agencies exceeding revenue targets, borrowing is necessary to address deficits and boost productivity, particularly for the poorest. This aligns with Agenda 2050, which aims for a GDP per capita of $33,000.”
Edun also reiterated that loans were critical for adequately funding the budget.
The committee, led by Senator Sani Musa, questioned the rationale behind the borrowing and demanded further transparency. The Immigration Service was specifically asked to provide documents regarding an “unacceptable PPP arrangement” before the end of the week.
The session underscored the government’s balancing act between increased revenues and fiscal challenges requiring external borrowing.
Why we’re borrowing despite surplus revenues – FG
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