Ikpeazu at 62: Ambassador Unveils First-Class Scholarship, Says Empowerment Must Go Beyond Handouts
By Editor
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 exceptional first-class students, declaring that sustainable empowerment requires investment in education, skills acquisition and human capacity development rather than the distribution of handouts.
Ikpeazu made the disclosure at 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, where speakers called for a shift towards empowerment programmes that equip young people with the knowledge, practical experience and resources needed to achieve lasting economic independence.
The colloquium, themed “Empowerment Beyond Handouts: Building Responsible, Skilled and Self-Reliant Young People for Sustainable Development,” examined how education, mentorship, enterprise development and practical training could help Nigeria harness the potential of its youthful population.
Under the proposed scholarship scheme, Ikpeazu said beneficiaries would be expected to maintain high academic standards, warning that the award would be suspended if a student’s academic performance declined.
The initiative reflects the central argument of the gathering: that empowerment should be measured not by the immediate value of assistance distributed but by the capacity beneficiaries develop to sustain themselves and contribute to society.
Reflecting on his years in public service, the former governor said effective empowerment must combine training, mentorship, practical experience and access to resources, citing agricultural initiatives undertaken during his administration in Abia State as an example of the approach.
He recalled the establishment of poultry clusters designed to prepare young people for independent enterprise through structured training and practical exposure.
The programme provided facilities including poultry pens, feed stores and veterinary clinics, while expert instructors guided participants through classroom instruction and practical farm management before their transition into independent poultry businesses.
According to Ikpeazu, the model helped reduce the risk of business failure by ensuring that participants acquired the necessary knowledge and experience before setting up their own enterprises.
The approach, he suggested, demonstrated the limitations of distributing funds or equipment without providing beneficiaries with the technical competence and managerial skills required to make productive use of them.
Ikpeazu also expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing him Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain and commended the President’s economic reforms, which he said had placed the country on a positive economic trajectory.
He thanked members of his family, friends and political associates for their support throughout his academic, professional and political journey.
The keynote lecture, delivered virtually by Professor John Uzoma Ihendinihu, Professor of Accounting and Taxation at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, reinforced the argument that genuine empowerment must focus on building capacity rather than creating dependence on periodic assistance.
Ihendinihu said sustainable youth development required an integrated approach that developed character, knowledge, competence and self-reliance.
He argued that empowerment programmes should extend beyond cash transfers and material gifts to incorporate formal education, vocational training, mentorship, entrepreneurship support and access to markets.
The professor also presented Ikpeazu’s career and administration as an illustration of the relationship between education, discipline, enterprise development and public service, citing several initiatives introduced during his eight years as governor of Abia State.
Among the programmes he highlighted were the promotion of the Made-in-Aba campaign, the sponsorship of local artisans for international training, the establishment of the Enyimba Automated Shoe Company and the Enyimba Automated Garment Factory, as well as efforts to secure institutional markets for products manufactured by Aba-based entrepreneurs.
The Made-in-Aba initiative sought to strengthen local manufacturing, promote indigenous craftsmanship and expand opportunities for businesses operating in Aba, a major commercial and manufacturing centre in southeastern Nigeria.
By supporting artisans with training and promoting locally manufactured products, the initiatives were intended to improve productivity, create employment opportunities and help local enterprises compete in wider markets.
Ihendinihu argued that such interventions represented a shift from consumption-based assistance towards capacity building, in which beneficiaries were equipped to produce goods, develop businesses and generate sustainable incomes.
He urged governments, educational institutions, businesses and community leaders to prioritise the development of responsible, skilled and productive young people capable of driving long-term economic growth and national development.
The argument also raised a broader policy question about the effectiveness of empowerment programmes in Nigeria: whether interventions should be judged by the number of beneficiaries reached or by the jobs, enterprises and sustainable livelihoods they create.
The birthday colloquium’s emphasis on practical training and entrepreneurship built on four previous editions that examined the socioeconomic future of the Igbo people, entrepreneurship as a driver of economic development, business survival in an inflationary economy and the shortcomings of conventional empowerment programmes.
The first edition, themed “Socio-Economic Future of Ndigbo: Setting the Agenda,” considered pathways towards a more prosperous and inclusive future for the Igbo people. The second focused on “Entrepreneurship as a Pathway to Economic Growth and Development,” while the third examined “Maintaining Business Growth in an Inflationary Economy.”
The fourth edition, titled “The Paradox of Empowerment: Why Empowerment Programs Rarely Empower,” questioned why the distribution of resources often failed to translate into lasting economic independence.
This year’s theme sought to advance that discussion by focusing on how young people could be equipped with the skills, values and experience necessary to create value, sustain livelihoods and adapt to changing economic conditions.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the event’s moderator 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 discussing economic development, entrepreneurship and sustainable empowerment.
He noted that the conversation had progressed from examining entrepreneurship and economic growth to questioning the limitations of conventional empowerment programmes and exploring how human capital development could deliver more enduring results.
The event also featured tributes and goodwill messages from friends, family members, associates and guests who participated physically and virtually from different parts of the world. They commended Ikpeazu’s contributions to public service, youth development, education and community advancement.
Born on 18 October 1964 in Umuebere, Umuobiakwa, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, Ikpeazu earned a bachelor’s degree in Clinical Biochemistry from the University of Maiduguri, a master’s degree in Biochemical Toxicology and a PhD in Biochemical Pharmacology from the University of Calabar.
He worked as a university lecturer and researcher before entering mainstream politics, subsequently serving in various public offices before becoming governor of Abia State in 2015. He served two terms, ending in 2023, before taking up his diplomatic appointment in Spain.
The celebration concluded with goodwill messages, birthday tributes and a birthday song in honour of the ambassador, as family members, friends, associates and well-wishers marked his 62nd birthday.
Beyond the celebrations, the proposed scholarship scheme and the discussions at the colloquium placed education, practical skills and sustained enterprise development at the centre of the debate on how Nigeria can turn its youthful population into a driver of economic growth.
The underlying message was that lasting empowerment requires more than providing people with immediate assistance: it demands the knowledge, discipline, opportunities and institutional support that enable them to build independent and productive lives.
