— As Hon. Waive, youth leaders urge peace, alignment with M.O.R.E. Agenda
By Ejememo Enoch Igho and Evelyn Obibi-Assay
Warri, Delta State — The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) has unequivocally affirmed that youth development is a core priority within its mandate areas. This assertion was made today, Friday, October 3rd, 2025, at the second edition of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Youth Summit, held at the Governor’s Office Annex in Edjeba, Warri.
Representing the Managing Director/CEO, Chief Festus Ochonogor, the Executive Director of Projects (EDP), Olorogun Dr. Ebenezer Okorodudu, delivered the key address. Chief Ochonogor emphasized that the future of any society rests squarely on the shoulders of its youth, especially within the oil-producing communities. He highlighted the Commission’s substantial investment in programs like the DESOPADEC Skills Acquisition (DSA) initiative and the annual bursary payment to indigent students.
Speaking on the timely theme, "Keying the Youth of oil producing areas of Delta State into the Renewed Hope and M.O.R.E agenda for sustainable development," Ochonogor noted its perfect alignment with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s M.O.R.E. Agenda and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda. He stressed the imperative of equipping youth with competencies for contemporary economic participation through intensified investment in modern, market-driven vocational training across sectors such as oil servicing, agribusiness, ICT, renewable energy, and construction.
Leaders Call for Peace and Alignment
The summit also served as a platform for political and youth leaders to call for responsible engagement. The convener, Comrade Owen Oghenero Edafe, stated that the summit was critical for repositioning the youth as true partners in development. He strongly urged youth to rise above ethnic acrimony, drug abuse, violence, and restiveness, encouraging them instead to channel their energy into education, entrepreneurship, and skills acquisition to fully align with the Governor’s M.O.R.E. Agenda.
In his address, the Member representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South, and Udu Federal Constituency, Hon. Francis Ejiro Waive, specifically called on youth in the oil-producing areas, particularly the Warri Federal Constituency, to eschew all forms of violence, asserting that peace is the sole panacea for development.
Other dignitaries, including Comrade Milton Ediri Sangboje (President, NYCN, Delta State Chapter), Comrade Isaac Garry (Ijaw Youth Council), and other representatives from the Isoko, Ndokwa, Itsekiri, and Urhobo youth wings, echoed the call for peace and active participation in development efforts across Warri and its environs.
