Financial analyst Kalu Aja has criticized the Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) newly launched youth internship program.
The program, announced by Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of NDDC, aims to support 10,000 youths from the Niger Delta region aged 18-45 with a monthly stipend of N50,000 for 12 months. Beneficiaries will also receive entrepreneurial training in their chosen fields.
In a tweet on X, Ogbuku stated, “Today we launched the NDDC Youth Internship Scheme which will support 10,000 youths from the Niger Delta, aged 18-45 years, with a monthly stipend of N50,000.00 for 12 months.
“During this period, beneficiaries will receive entrepreneurial training in their chosen fields,” he added.
Aja responded to the announcement, labeling the initiative as “lazy, unimaginative, and wasteful.” He argued that the program represents a mere transfer of funds without creating substantial long-term benefits.
In a statement on X, Aja stated, “This sharing of cash is lazy, unimaginative, wasteful and simply destruction of social capital
“If you want to create a Social Security safety net that pays unemployment benefits from taxes, please do so.
“You can also do a Conditional Cash Transfer where you tie these payment to an outcome, e.g. these beneficiaries can be paid this stipend on the condition they learn a trade from a registered craftsman or start a small farm.
“This cash sharing you are tagging “internship” is simply taxing sorry taking oil cash from Peter to give to Paul, no real wealth is being created
“What happens after 12 months?
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