BY RITA OYIBOKA
The National Union of Urhobo Students (NUUS) Worldwide has rolled out microcredit grants and vocational tools to students struggling to finance their education and small businesses, in a bold push to strengthen youth enterprise across Delta State.
The intervention took place during the Urhobo Students Leadership and Business Summit held at Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka. The summit, chaired by Mr Sheriff Jnr Oborevwori, Founder of the Sheriff Jnr Care Foundation, brought together student leaders, government officials, and private supporters committed to uplifting financially disadvantaged students.
NUUS National President, Comrade Onagba Freedom, said the initiative was borne out of the organisation’s findings that “many Urhobo students are battling to survive academically while running petty trades to keep themselves in school.”
He stressed that the union deliberately mobilised leaders across Delta State to support students with direct financial tools rather than rhetoric.
Out of the 25 beneficiaries, 20 students received ₦50,000 each, five received ₦30,000, while two others received sewing machines to scale up their vocational businesses.
A network of government executives, youth leaders, and community stakeholders bankrolled the empowerment: Mr Sheriff Jnr Oborevwori, Chairman of the event and founder of the Sheriff Jnr Care Foundation, supported five students with microcredit grants.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Development, Chief Ejiro Hope, donated one sewing machine and funded microcredit for three students. Hon. Leonard Collins Ogheneruona, Executive Assistant to the Governor, also contributed financially to the microcredit pool.
Comrade Onajite Peco, student and youth leader, supported seven students with grants. Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Development, Hon. Joseph Eritobor, provided one sewing machine and a microcredit grant to an additional student.
The event also recognised several contributors with awards for their commitment to youth development.
The summit, themed “Engaging Urhobo Students on National Security and Their Role in Politics,” featured key stakeholders, including DELSU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Asagba, and guest speakers Rev’d Canon Ivworin Avwerosuoghene, Comr. Efe Kelvin, Dr Comrade Onovughegor Augustine, and others.
In an interview, the Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Youth Congress (SNYC) Delta State Chapter, Comr. Wiska Monday, praised the initiative as “a strategic investment in the human capital pipeline” and lauded donors for placing real value on students who are hustling to stay in school.
He added that the empowerment aligns with the long-standing call for practical support systems for students who combine academics with micro-businesses.
