A Niger Delta sociocultural group has called for the Nigerian Army to vacate a local Skills Acquisition Centre, asserting that their presence is hampering youth employment and development.
The Wakirike (Okirika) National Congress of Ogoloma, a sociocultural group from the Niger Delta, is urging the Nigerian Army to vacate the Skills Acquisition Centre for Youth and National Development in Rivers State. This facility, which has been occupied by the Army for over a decade, is seen by the group as a crucial resource for combating youth unemployment and fostering economic development in one of Nigeria's most impoverished regions.
The group's statement highlights that the Army's presence has severely limited the centre's ability to function effectively, exacerbating local youth unemployment, which is a pressing issue in the Niger Delta. They argue that, in the context of Nigeria's challenging economic conditions marked by high inflation and rising joblessness, the Army’s occupation has weakened productivity both locally and nationally, creating a vicious cycle of poverty and insecurity that affects the entire community.
David Solomon, the Chairman of the WNC, emphasized the critical importance of the centre for youth empowerment and national development, expressing the need to return the facility to its original purpose. The call to action aims not only to reclaim the centre for community benefit but also to address larger issues of economic stagnation and the urgent need for job creation in the region, underscoring the intersection of military presence and social development in Nigeria.
