By Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa
The Community Peace and Development Initiative (CPDI), in collaboration with sister organizations, has launched the Renewed Hope Empowerment Scheme at the Ox-bow Lake Pavilion in Swali, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, described the initiative as a flagship program of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He explained that it focuses on job creation, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, and the distribution of food and non-food items to vulnerable women, alongside ICT training in digital marketing. Amgbare also urged Bayelsans to sustain peace to encourage more empowerment programs.
Special Guest of Honour, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), commended party members in Bayelsa for their resilience in a PDP-dominated state. He noted that peace in the region has boosted oil production and stressed that the scheme would strengthen small and medium enterprises, a key driver of economic growth.
Bayelsa APC Chairman, Chief Barr. Dennis Otiotio Odoni, said the program was designed to empower residents and reflect President Tinubu’s contributions to the state. He highlighted federal interventions, including the second phase of the Nembe-Brass road, Bayelsans’ appointments to key positions, and increased funding for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which enabled projects like the “Light Up the Niger Delta” initiative.
NDDC Managing Director, Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, clarified that the program was not a political campaign but a strategic effort to support President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He urged Niger Deltans to appreciate the opportunities provided through federal appointments and support the administration in 2027.
In solidarity messages, APC National Secretary Senator Dr. Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru and National Vice Chairman (South-South) Chief Victor Giadom called for unity among APC appointees to ensure grassroots inclusion in the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The distribution of empowerment items, coordinated by Engr. Preye Aganaba, Executive Director of Socials and Human Capital Development at the South-South Development Commission and CDI Trustee, included 100 mini-buses, 100 refrigerators, 100 generators, and 100 coolers, shared across local government areas.
The event reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to economic development and social inclusion in the Niger Delta, with stakeholders expressing optimism about its potential to transform livelihoods in Bayelsa State.
