The National Union of Izon-Ibe Students (NUIS) Western Zone held its Students' Summit with the theme 'A Creek Beyond Oil: Exploring Education, Skills and Professionalism' at the P.T.I. Lecture Theatre, Effurun in Delta State, on Friday, November 1, 2024.

Hosted by its National Treasurer, Comr. Gbajor Blessing, the Summit had Mrs. Endurance Bekenawei Nwachukwu as its Keynote Speaker, while Prof. Dr. Ernst Josef Franzek (Founder/CEO of Legionnaire for Mankind's Health), Dr. Bumie Samuel Ovuru, and Amb. Azigbeotu Timibikonlolouwa Wisdom as Guest Speakers.

One of the highlights of the summit was the presentation of an award of excellence to Dr. Franzek, in recognition of his humanitarian works in furthering mankind's health, received on his behalf by LMH Local Organising Officer, Mr. Patrick Padiayefagha.

Speaking on the essence of the Summit, Comr. Gbajor, said: "The theme was birthed because of our total dependency on oil as Niger Delta people. Our total dependency on oil has brought even more harm than good, because, instead of exploring other sectors, which will contribute immensely to the growth of the Niger Delta, we are dependent on just oil.

"And the oil itself, we do not even have a good access to it; we are not getting what should come from the oil. Now, professionalism we are talking about, this oil that we have, the liquid gold we have in the Niger Delta, we do not even have good professionals from the Niger Delta to handle this oil, most times it is people from outside that come to handle the resources that is coming from the Niger Delta.

"So, if we can make education, professionalism our primary aim, then the crude oil comes second. I believe there will be more development in Niger Delta because the way we are looking at just the crude oil alone, we are forgetting other sectors.

"So, there are a lot of things happening in the outside world today, like the cryptocurrency; a lot of opportunities— tech and all of that. You see that because of dependency on oil, people are not participating in those other areas that could bring development.

"So, the message we were passing with this programme, is that there are many other things the creek child could do; there are many other sectors the creek child could get knowledge in that will not only bring development to the creek child, Niger Deltans at large and our nation, Nigeria," she added.

The Summit was attended by students from across the Niger Delta with speakers emphasizing on the need for Niger Deltans and Nigerians at large to give more preference to education, professionalism and development of skill sets for them to contribute more to local, regional, national and global development.

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