The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has reaffirmed its dedication to human capacity development and sustainable economic growth in the Niger Delta region with the graduation of 100 youths who completed a six-month intensive training programme in Fashion Design. The ceremony, held on Monday, October 27, 2025, at J’s Signature Hotel, GRA, Port Harcourt, marked another step in the Commission’s empowerment drive aimed at creating wealth, reducing poverty, and addressing youth unemployment in the region.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director, Projects, NDDC, Sir Victor Antai KJW, PhD, described the event as a milestone in the Commission’s human capital development agenda. He emphasised that the training aligns with NDDC’s vision of empowering young people with practical skills and tools for self-reliance.
“We are not only imparting skills that will make these trainees self-reliant and industrious,” Dr. Antai stated, “but we are also providing them with empowerment packages including an industrial sewing machine, a generating set, and a logistics token to enable them to establish or expand their tailoring businesses.”
He explained that the fashion design training, like other ongoing skill development initiatives, reflects the unwavering commitment of the Managing Director/CEO, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, PhD, and the NDDC Governing Board to ensuring that youths in the Niger Delta are equipped with the capacity to become financially independent and productive.
Dr. Antai recalled that in February 2025, the Commission had organised the graduation of 205 trainees under the Welding Training Phase 1, while Phases 2 and 3 of the programme are currently at different stages of implementation. He added that in September 2025, NDDC also graduated 300 trainees who gained technical skills in scaffolding, pipe-fitting, sandblasting, pipe-coating, and forklift operations.
He further highlighted the Commission’s multi-sectoral approach to youth and economic development. According to him, NDDC sponsored the 2nd Edition of the Port Harcourt Tech Expo in June 2025, where over 4,000 participants, both physical and virtual, engaged in exhibitions, hackathons, and discussions on technological innovation across key areas such as agriculture, education, finance, robotics, health, aviation, and security.
Dr. Antai also pointed to NDDC’s support for entrepreneurial and women-focused projects, including the Society for Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) Port Harcourt Branch entrepreneurship training, which trained over 180 women in financial and business management. He also mentioned the Commission’s partnership with TEDx Countdown Port Harcourt 2025, a climate-action event aimed at addressing environmental challenges through technology and policy innovation.
“These interventions are consistent with our mission of not merely providing financial handouts but building a foundation for lasting self-sufficiency and enterprise in the region,” he said. “This is not about giving handouts. We are teaching our people how to fish, not just giving them fish. The Commission remains committed to nurturing a generation of economically resilient Niger Delta youths.”
Dr. Antai commended the Directorate of Commercial and Industrial Development for the effective implementation of the programmes, assuring that the Commission will continue to pursue strategic partnerships, including the NDCCITMA initiative, to boost industrial growth and innovation in the region.
He described the graduates as “ambassadors of the NDDC,” urging them to uphold excellence, creativity, and professionalism in their chosen careers. “Go out and raise the banner of hope for our region,” he charged the trainees. “Let the world see, through your skills and achievements, what the NDDC is doing to transform lives and fulfil its mandate to the people of the Niger Delta.”
The event was attended by dignitaries, development partners, and family members of the beneficiaries, who commended the Commission’s continuous investment in youth empowerment, job creation, and human capital development across the Niger Delta.