NDDC Trains 30 Niger Delta Youths in Advanced Fashion Design
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has urged young people in the region to look beyond their immediate environment, believe in their abilities and use acquired skills to build successful businesses. Ogbuku gave the charge in Port Harcourt during the graduation ceremony of 30 beneficiaries of the commission’s advanced fashion and garment design training programme. According to a statement issued on Friday by the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, the beneficiaries were selected from 100 youths who participated in the commission’s fashion design training in 2025, based on their competence and passion for the industry. Ogbuku said the programme was part of the commission’s commitment to youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and job creation, adding that the beneficiaries had been equipped with advanced skills and a platform to pursue careers in the fashion industry. He urged them to make productive use of the opportunity, become self-reliant entrepreneurs, establish businesses and create employment for others. He also encouraged them to seek mentorship from their training consultant, fashion entrepreneur Greg Daniel, as they develop their careers, stressing that young people should not allow their background or environment to restrict their ambitions.
The NDDC Managing Director further disclosed that the commission planned to expand its skills development interventions to include artificial intelligence and other technology-related fields, describing them as important opportunities for tackling unemployment and preparing young people for the future. Also speaking, the Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai, described the initiative as an investment in human potential and regional prosperity, urging the graduates to uphold discipline, creativity, professionalism and integrity while building their businesses. The Executive Director, Corporate Services, Ifedayo Abegunde, said the programme was designed to equip participants with practical knowledge for economic independence, while the Director of Commercial and Industrial Development, Lyna Okara, encouraged them to develop distinctive fashion brands capable of competing beyond the Niger Delta. The training consultant, Greg Daniel, commended the commission for supporting sustainable development and said participants had received instruction in advanced garment production and entrepreneurship. Ogbuku urged the graduates to remain ambitious, noting that the skills acquired could help them build sustainable businesses and create opportunities for others.
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