Concern is mounting among youth leaders in the Niger Delta region over the alleged widening imbalance between northern and southern youths in accessing the Federal Government’s empowerment policies and intervention programmes under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Youth Council Worldwide and Paramount Ruler of Niger Delta Communities in the North, Jator Abido, raised the alarm during a one-day sensitisation forum in Asaba, Delta State, at the weekend.
The event, themed “Empirical Perspective on President Tinubu’s Offers in Two Years: A Strategic Engagement of Niger Deltans on Accessibility”, drew youth groups, government officials, and civil society actors across the region.
Abido lamented that northern youths have been more proactive in leveraging initiatives such as the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), SMEDAN grants, and other presidential projects, while many southern youths remain unaware or sceptical of their accessibility.
“More northerners are taking advantage of these programmes than southerners,” Abido claimed, adding: “We’ve taken it upon ourselves to educate our youths about these initiatives like NELFUND, SMEDAN, and other presidential projects which they can tap from to change their lives.”
Convener of the Niger Delta Progressives Alliance (NDPA), Victor Udoh, described the trend as “deeply unhealthy,” warning that the region risks being left behind if its youths fail to engage constructively with national empowerment programmes.
“It’s not that our people were denied; they simply didn’t apply,” Udoh lamented.
“In the 2024/2025 NELFUND student loan programme, 65 per cent of beneficiaries are from the North, while only 35 per cent are from the South—and most of that 35 per cent are from the South-West. Many in the Niger Delta don’t even believe these opportunities are real,” he added.
Udoh said the NDPA’s mission was to bridge this information gap by equipping youths with the knowledge to access government programmes directly, without middlemen or illegal charges.
Secretary-General of NDPA and host of the forum, Felix Ejenavi, revealed that the sensitisation campaign, which began in Rivers State, would cover all nine states of the Niger Delta to ensure equitable awareness and participation.
Delta State Commissioner for Youth Development, ThankGod Trakiriowei, commended President Tinubu and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for initiating programmes that have had a tangible impact on citizens’ lives. He, therefore, urged youths to seize available opportunities to empower themselves and contribute to regional stability.
