IYD celebration: PIND doles out N44.3m to 65 youths to accelerate peace, job creation

A Non-Governmental Organisation, the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), has granted ₦44.3 million to 65 youths  as it marked this year’s International Youth Day (IYD)  celebration in Delta State.

The grant was to assist the beneficiaries boost their businesses and to accelerate peace and job creation in the Niger Delta region.

Twenty-two of the grant went to service-oriented businesses, including fashion, solar installation, photography, 20 to agriculture-based ventures, 18 to construction-related, and five to ICT start-ups, just as the recipients made up of 33 males and 32 females, including three persons with disabilities came from Delta, Ondo, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

The gesture, according to the Executive Director of PIND foundation, Mr. Sam Ogbemi Daibo, was to reaffirm the organisation’s commitment to unlocking youth potential as a driver of peace and sustainable economic development in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking at the event, Daibo said: “This year’s IYD is more than a celebration. It is a powerful statement about the creativity, resilience and leadership of young people in the Niger Delta.

“Through PIND’s Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) programme, we are not just supporting individual entrepreneur, we are building local ecosystems of peace and productivity, one youth-led enterprise at a time.

“We recognise that no single actor can solve the complex challenges facing youth in the Niger Delta which is why collaboration with government, private sector, civil society and the youth themselves is central to everything we do.

“YEP is PIND’s workforce readiness and enterprise development initiative designed to equip vulnerable and marginalised young people with technical, entrepreneurial and soft skills needed to access sustainable livelihoods.”

“The programme’s model is evidence-based, competency-driven and powered by partnerships with TVET institutions, private sector employers and government agencies.

“This year’s edition of the YEP business challenge fund was implemented in partnership with the Nigeria Philanthropy Office (NPO), underscoring the growing momentum for private-public collaboration in tackling youth unemployment and promoting regional stability.”

The event featured two high-level panel discussions: ‘Opportunities and models for scaling youth employment and job linkages in the Niger Delta’ and ‘Harnessing technology and strategic partnerships for sustainable, youth-led peace and development.’

Some beneficiaries who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune expressed appreciation on how the programme equipped them with business acumen, confidence, and a renewed commitment to promoting peace in their communities.

“Before YEP, I had skills but no direction. The programme did not just give me capital but clarity, mentorship and belief in myself. Today, I am running my own business and training other young people in my community. That is the kind of ripple effect we need,” said Faith Eborka, a grant recipient and digital marketing entrepreneur.

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