The Managing Director/CEO of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, on Tuesday delivered a stirring and deeply personal keynote address at the Bayelsa Creatives Converge 2.0, urging young Nigerians to rise above their limitations and seize the opportunities before them.
Speaking at the Banquet Hall, Onopa, Yenagoa, Dr Ogbuku drew from his own background to motivate the audience, telling youths to take pride in their identity and origins regardless of societal constraints.
“Be proud of who you are, be proud of where you’re coming from. Your environment should not limit you. Achieve success wherever you find yourself,” he said.
He noted that destiny is not defined by family status or social conditions. “Your opportunities in life are not restricted to who your mother or father is,” he said. “I always believed I would be a leader, so I carried myself as one. That belief shaped the choices I made.”
Reflecting on his childhood in Diobu, Okija Street — then known as a crime-dense neighbourhood — the NDDC boss said he deliberately stayed away from criminal activities because he envisioned a greater future. “I didn’t engage in criminal activities because I knew I would be a leader someday,” he stated.
Dr Ogbuku encouraged young creatives to value every platform and task, noting that diligence at any level is an investment in personal development. “There is no small stage,” he emphasised. “Whatever job you do, you do for yourself.”
READ ALSO: Bayelsa Creatives Converge: Inspiring Growth in the State’s Creative Industry
He highlighted several of the NDDC’s ongoing youth empowerment initiatives, particularly those focused on creativity, innovation and digital skills, saying they were designed to help young people build sustainable livelihoods. He urged participants to take full advantage of these programmes, describing them as “pathways to independence and relevance.”
In one of the event’s most notable announcements, Dr Ogbuku pledged institutional support to expand a free tech training programme led by start-up founder Mr Derrick Onowode. Onowode had committed to training 500 youths in technology and artificial intelligence; the NDDC MD immediately doubled the initiative by funding an additional 500 slots.
The Bayelsa Creatives Converge 2.0 brought together creators, innovators, tech professionals and emerging talents from across the state. Dr Ogbuku’s message of resilience, discipline and self-belief left the audience energised, reinforcing the event’s mission to foster creativity and unlock opportunities for young people in the Niger Delta.