Play Youth Potential for Enterprise Revolution The Niger Delta Perspective

The Niger Delta Job Creation and the resulting Conflict Prevention Initiative to improve peace and security in the country, empowering young people with skills relevant to local needs. The first phase of the three-year program involved training 300 young people at a cost of $ 2.4 million for direct employment in the private sector or self-employment opportunities. Although limited in terms of effort and the initial scope, the proposed agreement a win-win situation is desperate for the Nigerian economy in general and for young people and the private sector in particular.

The discovery of vast oil reserves in the region and the subsequent oil boom of the 1970s led to widespread destruction of agriculture, and the vast displacement of rural communities of fertile land without adequate compensation.

The genesis of the conflict and militancy in the Niger Delta dates back to the youth unrest in the early years of independence, which precipitated a perception of injustice in the distribution of oil wealth. A secondary cause was the serious environmental pollution from oil explorations that devastated the local ecology and made vast land areas along the Gulf of Guinea cultivable. Together, these causes transformed community emerging conflicts in the Delta region (rampant throughout the military regime between 1983 and 1999) in serious criminal activity at the turn of last century. Although appropriately called "petro-violence" Nigeria is read by many as a fair fight against the repressive practices of the federal government and Western oil companies, there is little debate about the extent of its impact on national fortunes. Bombings, kidnappings and oil attacks continue to cause about $ 1 billion in monthly losses of oil revenues, according to the Nigerian Central Bank1. increasing attacks on oil infrastructure in recent years have limited production to 66% of the installed capacity of 3 million barrels per day. The most recent notable of these efforts was the unconditional amnesty for Niger Delta militants offered by President Yar'Adua a year ago. Unfortunately, a few days after the announcement, rebels loyal to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) boldly taken and destroyed a major center for oil distribution in the first round of its kind in Lagos, the economic capital .

Central bank is clearly moving in its opinion that the growth in the largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa is severely dependent disorders container in the Niger Delta.

Others include:

The lack of activities to support the economy and training programs.
* The participation of marginalized young people to make community decisions.
* Administrative Failure, neglect and corruption.
* Inadequate welfare humanitarian and social initiatives.
* The high cost of living and the inability to meet basic needs.
* Lack of education, socio-political empowerment and self-esteem.
* The abuse and violence against drugs; inadequate recreational facilities.
* Good governance issues in the Niger Delta
* During exposure to Western culture negative
* During exposure to the culture of greed
* Ethnicity and lack of national consciousness

During the past decade, militants have kidnapped hundreds of foreign workers employed in the Niger Delta, the oil pressure, telecommunications and construction companies to declare force majeure on several ongoing contracts and withdraw staff nonessential vital installations. The greatest impact of the Delta crisis has been on the efforts Abuja to reach a rapid and sustainable development through the company of revolution. Clearly, this effort faces his biggest challenge of petro-escalating violence.

Previous initiatives in this regard, as the Commission of the Niger Delta (NDDC), could obtain a limited success in the areas of youth development and conflict resolution, largely because of bureaucratic inefficiency, inconsistent policies and the lack of regulatory frameworks. Due to its complex geopolitical and economic history, youth empowerment in Nigeria requires a holistic approach centered on some key issues:

* Review of the education system, with a particular focus on skills development and vocational training.

* The significant jobs and career paths that are compatible with local realities.

* Rehabilitation programs which successfully weaning away of militant violence and economically productive enterprises.

* Instill national attitudes of pride among youth through creative design outreach programs.

* Promote a comprehensive youth entrepreneurship through financial grants, technical assistance and grants-in-aid.
Social policy safety net to persuade the next generation of young Nigerians away from crime and violence.

* In competition troubled past in Nigeria, maintaining the stability and authority of political democratic institutions are fundamental to the success of any youth initiative renaissance worth

* Reduction of programs against the effective poverty that focus on the development of the company as a viable means to legitimate prosperity. Mobilization of the working population of youth to promote the rapid development of the activity in similar rural and urban areas.

* Improved per capita income, the level of living indexes related human development and by implementing changes in the informed social and economic policy

Regarding business development is fundamental to the subject of national rebirth, so is peace in the Niger Delta region. Amnesty offer from President Yaradua indeed mentions explicitly that most militants of the Niger Delta are "healthy young people whose energy could be exploited for the development of the nation as a whole." We need developers enthusiasts spirit company that can inspire an entrepreneurial revolution in Nigeria and even Africa as a whole. Thus, a radical and coordinated effort to accelerate wealth creation through the promotion of innovative business practices.