The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has charged youths to leverage the tools of Artificial Intelligence, AI, to create enterprises and generate sustainable livelihoods in the Niger Delta region.

Giving a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the NDDC Artificial Intelligence Training and Capacity Building for Innovative Opportunities in Port Harcourt, the NDDC Chief Executive Officer urged the youths to go beyond the Niger Delta creeks and create new possibilities.

Oguku, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Rev Obegha Oworibo, spoke on the topic: “From the creeks of the Niger Delta to the clouds of possibilities.” He restated NDDC’s commitment to “building an environment where skills meet opportunity, ideas meet markets, and innovation meets investment”

He said further: “The world of work is changing rapidly. Artificial Intelligence is transforming how people learn, create, conduct business, and solve problems. Tasks that once required considerable time, resources, or even a team of people can increasingly be assisted by powerful digital tools that are now accessible to individuals and small businesses.

According to Ogbuku; “The important question is not simply whether Artificial Intelligence will change our world. It already has. The question is whether our young people will merely watch that change take place, or whether they will acquire the knowledge and confidence to participate in it and shape it.”

“For the NDDC, that question is particularly important. Our mandate goes beyond physical infrastructure. We must also build human infrastructure by equipping our young people with the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to create sustainable livelihoods.”

“We want to help move our young people from being job seekers to opportunity creators, from being consumers of technology to creators with technology for sustainable economic empowerment.”

“For generations, the Niger Delta has been known for the oil beneath its soil. Today, I want our young people to recognise that there is another resource with enormous potential: the knowledge, creativity, data and intelligence within their minds.”

The generation before us extracted wealth from the resources beneath our feet. Our generation has a responsibility to ensure that the next generation can create wealth from the intelligence within their minds.

“Oil is extracted from the ground, but the value of AI is unlocked through knowledge, creativity and human intelligence. Oil can be depleted, but knowledge can multiply. And while previous generations drilled the earth for crude, this generation has the opportunity to drill its own future.”

Ogbuku observed that the AI training was designed to help in changing the mindsets of the young ones, noting: “We want a young woman in Cross River State to be able to develop a digital business that serves clients beyond Nigeria. We want a young entrepreneur in Ondo State to use AI to improve a local enterprise. We want a graduate in any Niger Delta community to recognise that unemployment does not have to be the final definition of his or her future.”

“We want a generation capable of using technology to develop solutions in agriculture, education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, creative industries, finance and many other areas that affect our communities,” he said.

The NDDC Director, Department of Information Technology and Innovation, Engr. Emeka Ani, described the programme as a strategic investment in the future of our region. It reflects the Commission's commitment to equipping young graduates and unemployed youths with the digital competencies required to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.

According to him, the training would enable the participants to translate the knowledge acquired into businesses, transformed careers, innovative solutions, and ultimately, improved livelihoods across the Niger Delta.

He stated: “This initiative reflects the visionary leadership and unwavering commitment of our Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, whose administration continues to place human capital development at the centre of the Commission's development agenda.

“This programme is an opportunity to redefine your future. Embrace it with commitment, discipline, and a willingness to learn. The future belongs to those who innovate, adapt, and continuously acquire new knowledge.”

The Lead Consultant for the programme, Mr. Francis Abayomi, said the training demonstrated the NDDC's commitment to empowering all categories of stakeholders in the Niger Delta.

He commended the NDDC leadership for its determination to empower stakeholders towards productive engagement and to promote the progress and stability of the Niger Delta region.

•PHOTO: Chief of Staff to the NDDC Managing Director (2nd right), in a handshake with the Assistant Director, Office of the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Dr Oluwatimilehin Bada (2nd left), during the opening ceremony of the NDDC Artificial Intelligence Training and Capacity Building for Innovative Opportunities in Port Harcourt. With them are the Programme Facilitator, Mr. Olalekan Adeeko (left), and the NDDC Deputy Director, IT, Mr. Ikemesit Ekere (right).

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