By Douglas Princemola
The 2026 International Youth Day celebration in Imo State took a political dimension on Wednesday as youths from oil-producing communities threw their weight behind Governor Hope Uzodimma for the Orlu Senatorial seat in the 2027 elections.
The endorsement was made at a one-day youth summit organised by the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC) at Rockview Hotel, Owerri.
The summit, held under the theme, “Empowering Youths for Sustainable Development: Innovate, Lead and Transform,” attracted youths from oil-producing communities, government officials, development partners, traditional and community leaders, as well as representatives of Federal Government agencies.
Addressing participants, the Managing Director of ISOPADEC, Chief Austin Onyedebelu, said the Commission would continue to place youth development among its key areas of attention.
Onyedebelu said ISOPADEC was working to equip young people with skills and opportunities in entrepreneurship, digital technology, agriculture, vocational training, education, innovation, scholarships and grants.
He described youths as an important part of society’s development, saying that providing them with useful skills and opportunities would help them become self-reliant and productive.
The ISOPADEC boss also called for stronger partnerships with the Federal and Imo State Governments, development partners, United Nations agencies and private-sector organisations to create more opportunities for young people in oil-producing communities.
According to him, such cooperation would help ISOPADEC connect youths with existing government and development programmes and make those opportunities more accessible at the grassroots.
The major highlight of the summit was the endorsement of Governor Hope Uzodimma by participating youths from the Orlu Senatorial District for the 2027 election.
The youths said their decision was influenced by what they described as the governor’s efforts in youth empowerment, infrastructure development, skills acquisition, digital transformation and economic development.
They also praised Uzodimma for appointing Chief Austin Onyedebelu as Managing Director of ISOPADEC, saying the Commission’s programmes had given more attention to the needs of young people in oil-producing communities.
The vote of confidence was moved by Comrade Okorie Dennis Ozor and seconded by the Niger Delta Critical Stakeholders Forum, represented by Prince Wisdom Ezinwa Nwauwa.
Nwauwa assured the governor and ISOPADEC management of the continued support and cooperation of youths across the oil-producing communities.
The youths also urged the state government to expand programmes that would provide them with practical skills, jobs, business opportunities, access to finance and sustainable sources of income.
The Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-Governance, Dr. Chimezie Amadi, urged the youths to take advantage of the Skill-Up Imo Programme.
Amadi said digital skills had become essential in today’s economy and expressed the willingness of the programme to work with ISOPADEC to train youths from oil-producing areas.
He encouraged participants to acquire technology-driven skills that could help them create businesses, secure employment and participate in the growing digital economy.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Youth and Talent Hunt, Dr. Emeka Mandela Ukaegbu, commended ISOPADEC for organising the summit.
He challenged young people to embrace creativity and innovation and develop ideas capable of solving problems and contributing to the growth of Imo State.
Representatives of the National Automotive Design and Development Council and the National Directorate of Employment also attended the summit.
The agencies expressed their readiness to partner with ISOPADEC in providing vocational training, skills acquisition and employment opportunities for youths.
The summit ended with stakeholders calling for stronger cooperation and practical programmes that would help young people move from unemployment and dependency to skills, entrepreneurship and productive livelihoods.
While youth empowerment remained the central focus of the gathering, the endorsement of Governor Uzodimma introduced a political dimension to the event, putting the 2027 Orlu Senate race in the spotlight.
For the youths from the oil-producing communities, access to skills, jobs, business opportunities and economic empowerment remains a major priority as they look towards a more productive future.
