Tag: NDDC

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has declared that the Niger Delta region is enjoying relative peace, a development he attributed to ongoing efforts to promote unity and cultural pride.

Speaking during the Arts and Culture Day held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as part of events marking the Commission’s 25th anniversary, Ogbuku noted that the celebration reflected the rich heritage and unity of the oil-rich region.

The event began with a fitness walk from the Polo Club in the Government Reserved Area (GRA), passing through Mummy B Road, Stadium Road, and ending at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Elekahia.

Cultural troupes from various states across the region entertained the cheering crowd with parades, traditional dances, and music displays.

Ogbuku said the Arts and Culture Day was not only a celebration of heritage but also a deliberate effort to strengthen peaceful coexistence and foster unity among the people of the Niger Delta.

He said, “We are here today to foster conviviality amongst ourselves as the people of the Niger Delta; to network amongst ourselves, to build relationships and to bond as a people.

Read Also: Tinubu hails Niger Delta youths, women for supporting Renewed Hope Agenda

“Just the way we did during the Niger Delta Sports Festival, which was the first of its kind, we are here today in Port Harcourt to build conviviality amongst ourselves, love among the people of the Niger Delta. We might differ in tribes, but the Niger Delta is one, Nigeria is one.”

In his remarks, Chairman of the NDDC governing board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, said the event had provided an opportunity for Niger Deltans to showcase their rich culture.

Ebie said, “This is remarkable as we come to showcase the diversity of the Niger Delta region. We are here to enjoy ourselves; we are here to show that the Niger Delta is rich in tradition and culture.”

In a welcome address, Chairman of the planning committee, Alabo Boma Iyaye, told participants that the Arts and Culture Day formed part of the anniversary celebration.

Iyaye commended participants for showcasing their talents and contributing to the success of the anniversary.

…says NDDC focusing on Tinubu’s directive to complete all abandoned projects

From Mike Odiegwu, Simon Utebor, Osagie Otabor and Elo Edremoda

The managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, has said that the funding for the commission has improved greatly under President Bola Tinubu.

Ogbuku said firms that were earlier reluctant to make contributions to the commission had been doing better after the President inaugurated the new Board.

He spoke in Asaba, Delta state, as part of the events heralding the 25th anniversary of the NDDC.

Ogbuku said the new board was working in line with President Tinubu’s directive to complete all the abandoned projects in the region.

He said the main focus of the present board was investment in agriculture and human capital development in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president.

He said the NDDC was partnering with the Presidential Implementation Committee on technology transfer to build capacity of the people of Niger Delta in agriculture and other sustainable development programmes.

Ogbuku also stated that the commission had paid its contributions in its partnership with LIFE-ND to help agricultural development.

He said the commission wanted to empower the right people, build a strong structure, focus on infrastructural development, and start projects that it could finish.

He said, “There are contractual agreements that will bring about litigation according to the Procurement Act.

“If you do not pay, how do you tell contractors to leave the site? You do not just wake up to say you want to complete all abandoned projects. You must ensure you prioritise. The ones we need to collaborate with, we will do so. We have to collaborate.

“Good money has been paid for some of these projects. We cannot wake up and say we are chasing contractors. There are obligations, and those obligations are not what we are going to pursue.

“We have critical projects to complete. There are those we will collaborate with. We are still negotiating with some contractors and begging others to leave so that we can re-award them.”

Reacting to a question concerning gully erosion in Delta and other states in the region, Ogbuku noted that erosion was one of the major problems in the Niger Delta.

He said, “We are discussing with the government of Edo State on how we can handle some gully erosion. We are an intervention agency. We are undertaking heavy intervention. We are looking at erosion holistically.

“We are taking a serious challenge based on Mr. President’s directive. We must carry out this intervention.”

Speaking on his rumoured governorship ambition, the NDDC boss said he was only interested in the re-election of President Tinubu.

Read Also: NDDC doing well under Tinubu, says Aiyedatiwa

Ogbuku, however, enjoined those clamouring for his declaration for the race to channel their energies into supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection in 2027.

The NDDC boss said, “I want to say I never told anybody I’m contesting the election.

“For now, Mr President has given me an assignment, and the assignment I have is to do the job of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC. And my interest for now is to ensure that I have the concentration to do this job according to the dictates of Mr President to serve the people of the Niger Delta.

“If there is any election I’m interested in, I believe everybody will ask why. The election I’m interested in is Mr President’s reelection. Because of those who talk about running for election, if Mr President does not win, how do I win an election? So Mr President must win”.

According to him, President Tinubu’s election “is in front of me right now. So all those politicians who try to distract us by putting in the newspapers and all that… Not only the politicians, even the people of the state who try to have some billboards trying to campaign on our behalf, I want to plead with them to convert that energy to campaign for Mr President for him to win reelection.”

Ogbuku said host areas to international oil companies would begin to benefit more from the NDDC to sustain the contributions of the IOCs to the agency.

He disclosed that oil multinationals had hinged their reluctance to meet their obligations to the agency on its failure to undertake projects in their areas of operations.

Ogbuku, however, assured that on receiving the complaint, the NDDC committed to doing the needful, which he said resulted in recent partnerships with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) and others still being discussed.

He said, “The IOCs complained that the reason they have been reluctant in paying their contributions was that NDDC was not carrying out projects in their areas of operation. When they made mention of that, we made a commitment that we are going to deviate from that by carrying out projects in their areas of operation.

“And what did we do differently? We inculcated them into our budget committee, so while we are preparing our budgets, they bring up projects in their areas of operation. Having seen that we are implementing that agreement, they are doing better now. They have improved, and this can also be seen in the partnership we are doing with them.”

He disclosed that the agreement birthed the 7.1km abandoned Bonny Ring Road project in Rivers state, the Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa, as well as ongoing talks with Chevron Nigeria Limited and the Delta State Government over the 67km Omadino-Escravos Road in the Warri Southwest council area of Delta State.

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has said that the commission will organise a retreat and agricultural summit for the Niger Delta region in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda on agrarian programme.

The NDDC Chief Executive Officer, who spoke during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Multi-Purpose Training Centre in Otuokpoti, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, said that the retreat would be put together in conjunction with the state governments in the region.

Ogbuku in a statement signed by the commission’s Director, Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, said that the NDDC was determined to make the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government a reality in the Niger Delta region.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the commission’s Board and Management to President Tinubu’s mandate to change the narrative in Nigeria’s oil-producing region.

He assured: “The NDDC will align with the President’s vision for agriculture, ensuring that we utilise agriculture as a platform for peace and security in the Niger Delta region. A hungry man is an angry man. We cannot train people solely for the sake of training. We aim to promote agriculture by partnering with all state governments in the region.

“At any time from now, the Commission will convene a mini-agricultural retreat for state governments and commissioners of agriculture. Every state in the region has their various areas of strength in agriculture.

“We aim to establish a regional integration for agriculture, which will later evolve into a regional agricultural summit where a comprehensive master plan for the region’s agriculture will be developed. This is for the promotion of food security in the Niger Delta region.

“Who says that some of the crops imported into the country cannot be grown in this region? Let us strive to ensure that the region comes together to achieve food sufficiency and security.

Read Also: Presidency debunks Lamido’s claim, reaffirms Tinubu’s pro-June 12 credentials

“Most of our states do not grow crops again. For example, the Ogbia Local Government Area was well known for its cocoyams. Today, they are no longer found in our land. Why can’t we bring it back?

“All these are achievable because we have people who are working with us. We are not the most intelligent people. It does not mean that we understand the administration more than everyone else; rather, it is because people have come together to make it easier for us, and those people who have come together to make it easier for us are our leaders. Mr. President is there, and he is giving us that purposeful guidance under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

The Managing Director affirmed that the NDDC was engaging all stakeholders to ensure harmony and cooperation in the task of developing the hitherto neglected Niger Delta region.

He said: “It is not only by our efforts, it is a synergy and combined efforts from all the stakeholders who believe the time has come when there should be stability in the NDDC and to ensure that we deliver development to the people of the Niger Delta region.”

“We thank our stakeholders for their support and encouragement, which has boosted our desire to ensure that we give our people what they deserve. We appreciate the state governments for supporting us and partnering with us in several areas of development.”

Reflecting on the Agricultural programmes of the Federal Government, Ogbuku stressed the need to bring it home to the Niger Delta region, noting that the NDDC had continued to promote policies and programmes that enhance food security and poverty reduction in the states under its purview.

The NDDC Boss recalled that last year, the Commission trained 200 women and youths in Livestock Farming and Agro-Processing at Okiemutie Farms in Eku, Amukpe, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State.

Ogbuku noted that the Commission was partnering with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to provide apprenticeship programmes for residents of the Niger Delta region.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Sickle Cell Awareness Initiative Ireland-Nigeria (SCAIIN) have launched a landmark Sickle Cell Awareness and Advocacy Flagship programme in the nine states of the region.

It was gathered that the partnership designed to promote public health, drive awareness, and mobilize resources to address sickle cell, which had become a pressing public health challenge in the Niger Delta region.

The event, which was held at the NDDC Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, was designed to bridge the gap in sickle cell disease management and care. 

In his remarks, the Managing Director/CEO of NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said that the project was a collective responsibility to promote public health, drive awareness, and mobilise resources to address sickle cell disease as a regional priority.

Ogbuku noted that sickle cell disease affects thousands of individuals and families in the Niger Delta, with many lacking access to early diagnosis, counseling, and treatment. 

He said the country bore a significant burden of the disease, with approximately three perncent of the population affected and about 150,000 babies born with the condition annually. 

Ogbuku said that the partnership between NDDC and SCAIIN included community outreach, genetic screening, education, blood drives, and high-level advocacy. 

He explained that the initiative would save lives and lay the groundwork for long-term prevention, research, and care, assuring that the NDDC remained committed to investing in programmes that directly improved the health and wellbeing of the people of the Niger Delta.

He said: “NDDC remains committed to investing in programs that directly improve the health and wellbeing of the people of the Niger Delta. As we collaborate with our partners, healthcare providers, and the broader public, I am confident that this initiative will not only save lives but also lay the groundwork for long-term prevention, research, and care.

“On behalf of the Niger Delta Development Commission, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all those who have contributed to making this vision a reality. Together, we reaffirm our shared mission: to build healthier, stronger communities for today and for generations to come.”

Read Also: 200 benefit from NDDC’s foreign scholarship scheme

Ogbuku expressed gratitude to all those, who had contributed to making this vision a reality, emphasising that the project was a meaningful step forward in combining community outreach, genetic screening, education, blood drives, and high-level advocacy under a comprehensive initiative.

In her address, Esther Pepple Onolememen, Clinical Psychotherapist and Founder of SCAIIN explained that the project was to address the growing burden of sickle cell disease in the Niger Delta region. 

She said the initiative, supported by the NDDC, would increase awareness, provide genetic screening, train healthcare professionals, and empower families with the necessary education and tools.

Onolememen noted that the journey began nearly 25 years ago when her daughter, Reme, suffered a stroke at just eight months old due to complications from sickle cell disorder. 

She said the life-altering experience sparked her advocacy work and led her to co-found SCAIIN, the Sickle Cell Society Ireland, and the Umoja Africa Sickle Cell Consortia (UMASCCO), a Pan-African platform of nearly 40 countries.

Onolememen emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing the growing burden of sickle cell disease. 

She said: “We cannot ignore the statistics. We cannot ignore the stories. This must change. The NDDC’s support has been instrumental in facilitating this initiative, demonstrating the impact of institutional and community collaboration.

In his welcome address, Dr. George Uzonwanne, Director of Education, Health, and Social Services at NDDC, described the initiative as a deeply meaningful step towards restoring dignity, understanding, and hope to countless lives affected by sickle cell disease. 

“Caring for people living with hereditary conditions like sickle cell disorder is not just a healthcare duty, but a moral calling”, he said.

He said the NDDC’s support for the initiative was part of its broader efforts to build a Niger Delta that heals, understands, and never leaves its own behind. 

He said by working together, stakeholders could make a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of individuals and families affected by sickle cell disease, and ultimately create a brighter future for the region.