By Chioma Okoye

Agbor, Delta State, came alive as the Erommaose Nwokoro Foundation held its 3rd annual graduation ceremony at the Highstar Event Centre, reaffirming its commitment to youth empowerment through entrepreneurship and skills acquisition.

The event, widely attended by youths, community leaders, and development stakeholders, spotlighted entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic independence, self-reliance, and sustainable national development.

At the centre of the initiative is Bernardette Eromma Nwokoro, whose organisation has continued to focus on equipping young people across the Ika nation with practical vocational and business skills.

The graduation ceremony featured an entrepreneurship session moderated by Anthony Nnamudi, with a panel of experts including Dr Jude Igborgbor, Dr Ngozi Mordi, Dr Solomon Egbule, and Mr Friday Memeh. The panel discussed challenges facing young entrepreneurs, including access to funding, market realities, resilience, and business scalability.

Speakers at the event emphasised the need for Nigerian youths to reposition themselves through skill acquisition and innovation, noting that entrepreneurship remains a critical solution to unemployment and economic hardship.

The Foundation, which runs intensive training programmes for youths in Agbor and surrounding communities, offers skills in areas such as event decoration, cake making, hair styling, fashion design, and beauty services.

A key feature of the programme is its post-training support system, where beneficiaries receive starter packs and seed capital to help launch their businesses, a model organisers describe as focused on sustainability and long-term impact.

Speaking on the philosophy behind the initiative, Nwokoro said the Foundation is committed to empowerment beyond traditional charity.

“We are not just giving aid; we are giving people a chance to stand on their own,” she said.

She added that beneficiaries are also placed on a structured mentorship and monitoring system to track progress and provide guidance as they build their enterprises.

Chairing the event was philanthropist and politician, Donald Peterson, who delivered a keynote address on “Entrepreneurial Opportunities, Challenges and Growth in Ika Nation.”

Peterson, a consistent supporter of the Foundation, commended its efforts in building human capacity and encouraged stronger collaboration among stakeholders to sustain youth empowerment initiatives.

The organisers also acknowledged support from corporate partners, including the Nigerian Bottling Company and New Age, for their contributions to the success of the programme.

The Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to expanding its reach, describing its work as not just training youths, but building futures, restoring dignity, and creating sustainable livelihoods.

With each graduating cohort, the initiative continues to position itself as a growing platform for youth empowerment in Delta State and beyond.