The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has intensified its campaign for youth participation in Nigeria’s democratic process, urging university students and other eligible young Nigerians to register, collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and play a more active role in shaping the country’s future.
The Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, gave the charge at a voter education and civic sensitisation programme, tagged “Project New Nigeria and Voter Education,” held at the Abia State University, Uturu.
Ogbuku, represented by the Director, Social Services, Engr. Jeremiah Oritsejolomi, said the initiative was designed to deepen civic awareness and encourage responsible participation in the democratic process, particularly among young people in the Niger Delta.
He said the campaign had already been taken to several universities in the region, including Rivers State University, stressing that university communities remained strategic to the initiative because of their large population of young Nigerians.
According to him, despite their numerical strength, many young people remain disengaged from elections and other aspects of civic participation, a situation he said informed the decision by the commission to take voter education directly to campuses.
Ogbuku urged eligible students to register to vote, obtain their PVCs and make informed choices at elections, while assuring that deserving students would also receive educational support materials under the programme.
The initiative’s Convener, Foundation for Citizens Empowerment and Sensitisation on Civic Responsibility, Mr Samuel Nzidee, said Project New Nigeria was conceived by young Nigerians to engage students and amplify their voices on issues affecting university communities.
Nzidee argued that students possessed significant civic influence through their participation in elections, urging them to deploy their collective voice to demand greater attention to challenges such as accommodation, quality of education, respectful student-lecturer relations and affordability of education.
He said young Nigerians should move beyond being passive observers of governance and become more actively involved in decision-making, adding that their participation was necessary to ensure that issues affecting them received adequate attention.
As part of the intervention, Nzidee disclosed that tuition fees would be provided for 200 returning students, while other beneficiaries would receive laptops, tablets and other educational support materials.
He urged the students to remain informed, register to vote, collect their PVCs and participate responsibly in the forthcoming elections.
The Vice-Chancellor of Abia State University, Prof. Ndukwe Okeudo, represented by the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof. Dick Uduma, commended the NDDC for bringing the sensitisation programme to the university.
Okeudo said voter education was essential to helping Nigerians understand their civic responsibilities and participate meaningfully in the democratic process.
He also urged the beneficiaries of the educational support programme to conduct themselves responsibly and uphold the reputation of the institution.