NBA Confab: NDDC boss advocates diversification of Niger Delta economy

The Niger Delta Development Commission has called for increased investment in agriculture and other sustainable sectors to secure the Niger Delta region’s future.

Speaking on Resource Control during the Nigeria Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said that while oil has blessed the nation and contributed significantly to development, the region cannot afford to remain dependent on it indefinitely.

Otbuku stressed the need for stakeholders to ask fundamental questions about the region’s future beyond oil, particularly by identifying areas where Niger Deltans could exercise greater control.

He noted: “Data remains a critical component of resource control. Without accurate information on what the Niger Delta produces, it would be difficult to determine what it is entitled to receive.

“If we do not control the data, we do not know what we produce; we do not know what is to come to us. We need to put the future into our own hands,” the NDDC boss stated.

Ogbuku identified agriculture as one area within the region’s control, stressing that increased investment in the sector would strengthen food security, create employment and provide sustainable livelihoods for women and youth.

On environmental remediation, the panellists raised questions about the processes for determining what and who gets remediated, as well as the mechanisms for verifying the effectiveness of remediation efforts.

Speaking during the session, a representative of the NDDC legal team, Paul Emerhana, said the Commission had commenced a deliberate transition from “transaction to transformation,” driven by institutional reforms, digitalisation and sustainable development.

Emerhana, cited the Commission’s solar street-lighting projects as an example of interventions with environmental, social and developmental benefits, noting that the projects had reduced dependence on conventional energy sources while improving security.

He further highlighted the Commission’s digital transformation, particularly the automation of its contract management processes, describing NDDC as the first agency to fully automate its contract processes.

He noted: “The digital transformation agenda of the Commission is consistent with the policy direction of the present administration and has extended to youth development, with the Commission providing training in Artificial Intelligence and other digital skills to young people across the Niger Delta.

“The Commission is investing in youths because they represent the region’s future; equipping them with relevant digital skills would improve their ability to participate in the emerging digital economy.”

The NDDC representative also highlighted the establishment of the Corporate Governance Department as part of the Commission’s institutional reforms, explaining that the department was created to strengthen governance, accountability and the sustainability of the Commission’s processes.

He added that the adoption of Environmental, Social and Governance principles was important in ensuring that NDDC projects delivered sustainable value to communities and remained beneficial long after completion.

At the conference, awards were presented to the NDDC Board Chairman, Mr Chiedu Ebie, and the Managing Director in recognition of the contributions of the Commission to the development of the Niger Delta region.