By Amieyeofori Ibim, Port Harcourt
Governor Siminalayi Fubara has reiterated his administration’s commitment to creating inclusive economic opportunities in Rivers State, with a focus on empowering women and job creation for youths through strategic collaboration with national employment agencies.
Speaking at Government House, Port Harcourt, while receiving the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mallam Silas Ali Agara, and his delegation, Governor Fubara pledged full support of the Rivers State Government for the NDE’s empowerment and job creation programmes.
Governor Fubara recalled that the NDE, in its early years, played a vital role in promoting merit-based employment and providing genuine opportunities for the unemployed. He, however, expressed concern about whether the institution still upholds the same standards of integrity and efficiency in its operations today.
While commending President Bola Tinubu’s efforts in promoting job creation and youth empowerment across the country, the governor emphasized that such national interventions deserve appreciation and partnership from state governments.
Addressing the peculiar challenges of the Rivers State employment market, Governor Fubara explained that the state’s unique economic landscape—with its oil exploration activities, three seaports, and an international airport—continues to attract an influx of people seeking better opportunities.
“You can imagine the level of economic activity here,” he said. “There is a surge in the city, with many leaving the rural areas for the urban centers in search of jobs. We also experience migration from neighbouring states. The only way to help—not just our people, but others who come in—is to create opportunities and make it easy for them to be gainfully engaged,” he stated.
The governor stressed that expanding access to employment would create a win-win situation, as it would also help address insecurity by keeping young people productively engaged in meaningful ventures.
He expressed delight that the state is already benefiting from various NDE initiatives, particularly programmes that have engaged youths in productive enterprises. He was also pleased to learn that the agency operates three farm centres in the state—facilities he promised to strengthen through collaboration with the Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment.
Governor Fubara underscored the importance of empowering women in rural areas, noting that as young people migrate to the cities, rural women are often left with increased responsibilities. He pledged his government’s support to ensure these women are adequately engaged, particularly through NDE’s agricultural initiatives.
According to the governor, his administration’s broader vision for economic expansion is reflected in ongoing infrastructure projects such as the new road being constructed from Ngo in Andoni Local Government Area to the Atlantic Ocean shoreline—a project designed to open up the state’s blue economy potential.
Fubara said: “We wanted to give easy access to the Oyorokoto beach, which attracts people during the Yuletide season,” he explained. “But in the process, we discovered a new shoreline at Ngo that is even more economically viable.”
According to him, the new shoreline, which faces the Atlantic Ocean, offers immense potential for marine investments and tourism development, and his government is working to attract credible investors to harness those opportunities.
“This will create jobs, grow the economy, and enhance development. We may not be there in 20 or 30 years, but I am confident that what we are doing today will benefit not just Rivers State, but Nigeria as a whole,” he assured.
Governor Fubara informed the NDE delegation of his administration’s readiness to deepen collaboration to ensure that ongoing and future employment initiatives deliver tangible benefits for the people of Rivers State while reinforcing the Federal Government’s development agenda.
In his remarks, the NDE Director-General, Mallam Silas Ali Agara, commended Governor Fubara for his remarkable infrastructural strides and his commitment to strengthening the state’s economy. He said the agency’s visit was aimed at deepening partnership with the Rivers State Government to enhance job creation for youths and women.
Mallam Agara outlined various NDE programmes currently running in the state and reaffirmed that the agency’s recruitment processes are transparent, merit-based, and conducted through its official online portal.
“Rivers State is one of the major belts in the blue economy, and your footprints are visible everywhere,
“This is the first time NDE is visiting any state with such a high-powered delegation, bringing together our top team from the national and state levels,” stated Agara.
He emphasized that NDE remains Nigeria’s primary employment generation agency and disclosed that under the Renewed Hope Employment Programme, thousands of youths, including many from Rivers State were empowered last year.
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