Ikpeazu Urges Investment in Skilled, Responsible Youths for Sustainable Development

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain and former Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, has called for greater investment in education, skills and mentorship to build responsible and self-reliant young Nigerians.

Ikpeazu made the call while marking his 62nd birthday at the fifth Okezie Victor Ikpeazu Colloquium, organised by the Pa Ismael Ikpeazu Library and DOVI Scientific Leadership Centre.

The event focused on the theme, “Empowerment Beyond Handouts: Building Responsible, Skilled and Self-Reliant Young People for Sustainable Development.”

The ambassador also announced plans to establish the Dovis Scholarship Scheme for exceptional first-class students.

He said the scheme would reward sustained academic excellence rather than one-off performance. Beneficiaries would also lose the award if their academic standards dropped.

Ikpeazu argued that genuine empowerment should focus on building people’s capacity instead of distributing handouts.

He identified education, skills acquisition, mentorship and enterprise support as key tools for preparing young people for productive careers.

Reflecting on his administration in Abia, the former governor cited youth-focused agricultural programmes as examples of practical empowerment.

He said his government established poultry clusters equipped with pens, feed stores and veterinary clinics. It also provided expert instructors to combine classroom lessons with practical farm management.

According to Ikpeazu, the approach helped young participants gain the experience needed to establish and manage their own poultry businesses.

He said empowerment works better when beneficiaries receive training, mentorship, practical exposure and access to resources before they venture into business.

The ambassador also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing him to represent Nigeria in Spain.

He commended the President’s economic reforms, saying they had placed the country on a positive economic trajectory.

Ikpeazu equally thanked his family, friends and political associates for supporting him through his academic, professional and political career.

The keynote speaker, Professor John Uzoma Ihendinihu of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, said empowerment should focus on the capacity created rather than the value of items given to beneficiaries.

Ihendinihu said sustainable youth development requires a combination of character, knowledge, competence and self-reliance.

He urged governments, schools, businesses and community leaders to move beyond cash transfers and material gifts.

The professor advocated education, vocational training, mentorship, entrepreneurship support and access to markets as critical components of sustainable empowerment.

He described Ikpeazu’s career as an example of how education, discipline and service can shape effective leadership.

Ihendinihu highlighted several youth-oriented programmes associated with Ikpeazu’s tenure as governor.

They included the Made-in-Aba campaign, international training for local artisans, the Enyimba Automated Shoe Company and the Enyimba Automated Garment Factory.

He also cited efforts to secure institutional markets for goods produced by Aba-based entrepreneurs.

According to the professor, such interventions shifted attention from consumption to capacity building, job creation and increased productivity.

He urged policymakers to develop young Nigerians who can contribute meaningfully to long-term economic growth and national development.

Earlier, the moderator of the event and former spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, described Ikpeazu as a scholar, statesman, diplomat and public servant.

Ebienfa said the annual colloquium had consistently addressed economic development, entrepreneurship and sustainable empowerment.

He noted that the conversation had moved from entrepreneurship and economic growth to the reasons many empowerment programmes fail.

He said the current focus was on finding sustainable ways to build human capacity and promote self-reliance among young people.

Friends, associates and guests who joined the event physically and virtually from different parts of the world also paid tribute to the former governor.

They praised his contributions to public service, youth development, education and community advancement.

The celebration ended with goodwill messages, birthday tributes and a birthday song for the ambassador.