The Management of Niger Delta Development Commission has announced that the commission would collaborate with the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce to support youth entrepreneurship training in the area.

In order to ensure the sustainability of youth development programmes, he promised to support the support for Small and Medium Enterprises in the region.

Ogbuku said; “We will also partner with the Bank of Industry to fund projects, support businesses and facilitate the success of our empowerment programmes. We will provide all the necessary support for youth entrepreneurship schemes.

“We will soon hold a Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit and the youths must be a part of it. We need to continually provide a platform for all our stakeholders to contribute ideas for the development of the Niger Delta region.”

Ogbuku announced that the NDDC would no longer be a cash cow for politicians but concentrate on the region’s development.

He said his development approach would be by a public-private partnership and lead the NDDC into strategic partnerships and partnership with local and international development organisations, donor agencies and even management and financial institutions.

“Not until we give all our leaders, political, traditional, youths, women and other leaders in the Niger Delta that platform and opportunity to discuss what our future should be, we may not understand the direction that our people want to go.”

“We have gathered at this forum to hear from the youths; to interact with them and rub minds because we realise that we can,” he added.

Appointed in August 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, Ogbuku was tasked with the responsibility of steering the ship of a government institution that had been in the eye of the storm over corruption.

Before he was appointed the managing director/CEO of the NDDC, he served as senior special assistant on Niger Delta affairs to the former Deputy President of the Senate, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege.