President Bola Tinubu has approved a monthly stipend of N50,000 for 10,000 Niger Delta youths to alleviate the current economic hardship in the country. This was announced by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during the Niger Delta Sensitisation Conference in Port Harcourt.
Akpabio stated that the payment would be made under the NDDC Youth Intensive Scheme and would last for an initial 12 months with the possibility of extension. He emphasized that this move was part of Tinubu's efforts to address the region's challenges and urged against participation in the national protest scheduled for August 1.
The Senate President also announced that Tinubu had approved the simultaneous commencement of the Lagos to Calabar coastal highway project, which is expected to create thousands of jobs for the region's youths. He warned that the forthcoming national protest was orchestrated by faceless people aiming to instigate chaos and damage across the country.
Other speakers at the conference, including Benjamin Kalu, Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong, and Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, urged the youths to be patient and support Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasizing that the Federal Government's policies and programmes were already addressing the region's challenges. They warned that the protest would further damage the nation's economy and hinder development.