Call it a day for the creme de la creme of the Niger Delta region and you cannot be faulted. The Dr Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt was literally swarming with political big wigs, technocrats, community leaders, youth leaders, women, and captains of industry, who had gathered for the Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit 2024.
The historic event, with the theme: “Renewed Hope for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta Region,” was designed to foster collaboration and chart a new path for sustainable development in the region.
The august gathering, hosted by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, proved to be an appropriate platform for dialogue and constructive engagement on pressing issues that impact the region, such as environmental sustainability, economic diversification, infrastructure development and social empowerment.
With such serious issues on the table, it was not surprising that the auditorium of the conference centre was brimming with a galaxy of stars in the Niger Delta region. Leading the array of dignitaries was the Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, joined by members of the National Assembly led by the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio; Governors of the NDDC States, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, Representatives of Ethnic Nationalities and other groups of the Niger Delta region.
Drawing the curtain, after a three-day brain-storming sessions, the stakeholders resolved that collaboration and regular engagements were necessary to drive sustainable development in the region. They, therefore, called for the urgent re-activation of the NDDC, Advisory Committee, as provided for in its Establishment Act, to advise and monitor the activities of the Commission.
Obviously, they acknowledged the key role of state governments as stakeholders, because the Advisory Committee, made up of governors from NDDC member states, was an important consultative body meant to ensure collaboration and synergy among the development partners.
The former President Jonathan, who was the chairman of the occasion, alluded to the fact that lack of collaboration may be responsible for the abandonment of some
infrastructure projects executed by NDDC.
He said: “The NDDC must have a way of managing its infrastructure when completed. They can liaise with the governors for the states to take over the maintenance of the projects.”
Jonathan urged politicians not to over stretch the NDDC, as this could adversely affect the execution of projects and retard development in the Niger Delta region.
The former President, whose extempore remarks were punctuated with applause from the audience, expressed delight over the performance of the current Board and Management of NDDC, led by the Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie and the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku.
He noted: “With the present leadership, people from the Niger Delta have seen some light. Having listened to the conversations in the course of the summit, I am impressed that things have taken a different turn in the Niger Delta. It shows clearly that the current leadership intends to move NDDC in the right direction.”
Jonathan also commended the NDDC for giving opinion leaders in the region the opportunity to come together to interrogate issues in the Niger Delta.
He said: “The next thing we should look at is the place of oil in our region. We are here because we produce oil but everybody knows that for the fossil oil, the future is bleak. It may dry up just like the Oliobri oil field dried up.
“We must prepare our young people and children for a Niger Delta without hydrocarbon. There are so many ways to do it and I admire the competence of the key actors in the NDDC.”
Mounting the podium as a co-host of the summit. the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, affirmed that the NDDC leadership was doing well, stating: “There is no interference from the Presidency or the Ministry. This is the first time the board and management are working together. We warned against any form of squabbles from the onset.”
On the recurring issue of abandoned projects, he said: “We approached the President on this and he proposed to raise a soft loan to address the problem. That is why the NDDC 2024 budget is N1.9trillion. You will see drastic changes in the region as soon as the budget is approved.”
Momoh agreed with Jonathan that it was dangerous for Nigeria and the region to continue to rely on oil when there were other alternatives. He said: “Now is time to move to agriculture, technology and entrepreneurship. Crayfish farming and general fish farming are big earners in the international market.
“The region must move to its core areas of advantage, which is agriculture. The NDDC and other federal agencies in the region can come together and plan a development strategy and leverage each other’s capabilities.”
The Senate President, Senator Akpabio, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the summit, invited other lawmakers to join him at the podium as he spoke both in his personal capacity and on behalf of the President.
He declared: “The National Assembly is fully represented here and this is to lend support to the present management of the NDDC. Two governors of the mandate states are physically present (Ondo and Bayelsa states) while six deputy governors are present with one (Rivers) that is represented by the Head of Service. This is huge attendance.
“Ogbuku is a performing Managing Director and he is aware that the NDDC is expected to work towards the fulfilment of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
“There are agitations in the Niger Delta requiring you to adopt pragmatic ways and do things differently. That is the expectation of Mr. President. All hands must, however, be on deck to achieve desired change in our oil-rich region.”
Akpabio confirmed that President Tinubu had given approval for the NDDC to source for N1 trillion loan for the commission’s legacy projects.
Recall that the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Ogbuku, while defending the proposed N1.91 trillion 2024 budget of the commission before the House Committee on NDDC, said the agency would be taking a N1 trillion loan to fund some ongoing capital projects in the region.
He had said that the loan would be sourced from commercial and development banks to fund “legacy projects.”
Speaking on the disturbing situation at the East-West Road, which links the states in the Niger Delta region, Akpabio said that the president was committed to the overall development of the region once known for its restiveness.
He said: “I want to assure the people of the region that the National Assembly will ensure that the East West Road is completed.
“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road started by the President will not only start from Lagos, Mr. President has also agreed that it must also take root from Niger Delta simultaneously then it will meet up with the one in Lagos.”
Expressing concern over the deplorable condition of the East West Road, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, lamented the bad condition of the East West Road and appealed to President Tinubu and the Federal Government to act swiftly to end the suffering of commuters at the Okogbe axis of the East-West Road in Rivers State.
Governor Diri said he was stuck for more than two hours at the bad portion of the road on his way to the Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit in Port Harcourt.
Sharing his own perspective, the Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, urged the NDDC management to give priority to projects that would meet the peculiar needs of each of the oil-producing states in the Niger Delta region.
According to the Governor, implementing generic policies and initiatives without putting into consideration the peculiar challenges and comparative advantages of each state is one of the major banes of development in the Niger Delta.
He said: “The theme of this summit is not only apposite but essential as we navigate the complexities of development in our beloved region. This theme resonates deeply with me as it aligns with our administration’s vision for Ondo State and the region.
“While we go ahead with our discussions that will make us arrive at the strategic decisions that will guide the path to peace, progress and prosperity of the Niger Delta people, we should not forget that the sustainable development in the Niger Delta is not a task for one entity but a collective responsibility.
“The synergy among the Federal Government, state governments, local communities and the private sector is crucial.
“The NDDC, as a key driver of development in the region, must continue to engage with all relevant parties to ensure that projects are not only impactful but also reflective of the true needs of our communities.
“We must invest in our youths, providing them with the tools and opportunities to innovate and lead. By focusing on human capital development, we create a foundation for long-term economic growth and stability.”
For the keynote speaker, the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, the Nigerian economy had suffered from a cycle of boom and burst that must now be stopped by creating economic buffers outside oil for stability.
He lamented that the unfortunate resource curse that had been the lot of Niger Deltans persisted because citizens tended to relax in times of boom, instead of using it to create new life-lines.
Eghosa urged the NDDC to lay a solid foundation based on knowledge and capacity building, so as to move the populace from entitlement mentality to creativity and self-development.
By Ifeatu Agbu