The Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and former Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, has announced plans to establish the DOVIS Scholarship Scheme for outstanding first-class students, emphasising that sustainable empowerment must be built on education, skills acquisition and human capacity development rather than handouts.
Ikpeazu disclosed this during the celebration of his 62nd birthday and the Fifth Okezie Victor Ikpeazu Colloquium, organised by the Pa Ismael Ikpeazu Library and DOVI Scientific Leadership Centre.
The colloquium, themed “Empowerment Beyond Handouts: Building Responsible, Skilled and Self-Reliant Young People for Sustainable Development,” brought together scholars, public servants, political associates and other stakeholders to examine strategies for promoting youth development and sustainable economic growth.
The ambassador said genuine empowerment should go beyond the distribution of money and material items to include deliberate investments in education, mentorship, vocational training, practical experience and enterprise development.
According to him, young people require the knowledge, competence and resources to become economically independent and contribute meaningfully to national development.
He explained that the proposed DOVIS Scholarship Scheme would support exceptional students who attain first-class academic honours, with continued eligibility dependent on maintaining high academic standards.
Ikpeazu said the scholarship would be subject to sustained academic performance, adding that beneficiaries whose results declined would risk losing the award.
He noted that the initiative was intended to encourage academic excellence and instil discipline, consistency and a sense of responsibility among young people.
Reflecting on his experience in public service, the former Abia governor said empowerment programmes were more likely to produce lasting results when beneficiaries received adequate training, mentorship and practical exposure before being expected to operate independently.
He cited agricultural interventions implemented during his administration in Abia State, particularly the establishment of poultry clusters designed to equip young people with the skills required to operate sustainable businesses.
According to him, the programme provided facilities such as poultry pens, feed stores and veterinary clinics, alongside professional instructors who guided participants through classroom instruction and practical farm management.
He explained that the model enabled beneficiaries to acquire relevant knowledge and hands-on experience before transitioning into independent poultry enterprises.
Ikpeazu maintained that such an approach could help reduce business failure by preparing participants for the operational demands and challenges of running their own businesses.
The ambassador also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing him Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain.
He commended the President’s economic reforms, which he said had placed Nigeria on a positive economic trajectory, and thanked his family, friends and political associates for their support throughout his academic, professional and political journey.
The celebration featured a keynote lecture delivered virtually by Professor John Uzoma Ihendinihu, a Professor of Accounting and Taxation at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
In his presentation, Ihendinihu argued that the effectiveness of empowerment programmes should be assessed by the capabilities they create rather than the material benefits distributed to recipients.
He said sustainable youth development required an integrated approach that combined character formation, education, technical competence, mentorship and opportunities for economic independence.
The professor stressed that governments and development institutions needed to move beyond cash transfers and material gifts to initiatives that equip young people with practical skills, entrepreneurial knowledge and access to markets.
He described Ikpeazu’s career as an example of how education, discipline and public service could contribute to human development, drawing attention to youth-oriented initiatives undertaken during his tenure as governor of Abia State.
Among the programmes he highlighted were the promotion of the Made-in-Aba campaign, sponsorship of local artisans for international training, the establishment of the Enyimba Automated Shoe Company and the Enyimba Automated Garment Factory.
He also cited efforts to secure institutional markets for products manufactured by Aba-based entrepreneurs, saying such interventions could help connect local production with sustainable demand.
According to Ihendinihu, the initiatives reflected an approach to empowerment focused on building productive capacity, creating employment opportunities and strengthening the ability of local entrepreneurs to compete in the marketplace.
He urged governments, educational institutions, businesses and community leaders to invest in programmes that would develop responsible, skilled and productive young people capable of contributing to long-term economic growth.
Earlier, the moderator of the event and former spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, described Ikpeazu as a scholar, statesman, diplomat and public servant whose career had been shaped by scholarship, humility and service.
Ebienfa said the annual colloquium had consistently provided a platform for discussions on economic development, entrepreneurship and sustainable empowerment.
He noted that this year’s theme addressed the need to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and values required to achieve self-reliance and make meaningful contributions to society.
According to him, previous discussions on entrepreneurship and economic growth had evolved into a broader examination of why some empowerment programmes failed to deliver lasting results and how human capital development could provide a more sustainable alternative.
