Ministry, NDDC Harmonising Development Plans in Niger Delta, Says FG

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The federal government has stated that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are currently working to harmonise all the developmental plans in the Niger Delta region into a single regional development strategy.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Olufunso Adebiyi who revealed this, reaffirmed government’s resolve to re-focus on strategies towards achieving sustainable development in the region.

Speaking during the Pre-council activities of the 5th National Council on Niger Delta (NCND), Adebiyi said: “The Ministry and NDDC are currently working to harmonise all the developmental plans in the Niger Delta Region into a single Regional Development Strategy.”

He explained that the plan would help galvanise the intended rapid development in the region and, “enhance operationalisation of Strategic Implementation Work Plan (SIWP) tool, which is another dynamic effort of the federal government to drive development in the region.”

A statement issued by the Director, Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, Deworitshe Patricia, the Permanent Secretary disclosed that the 5th Council would help consolidate the gains of the previous four editions of the stakeholder interaction by deepening discussion on how best to fast- track development in the region.

He noted that, “this we can do by charting a responsive roadmap with measurable results and outcomes for the Niger Delta region.”

According to him, the event was a platform for bringing all development partners to the same table, “to discuss developmental policies, strategies, initiatives and programmes for rapid socio-economic.”

Adebiyi, who explained that the core responsibilities of the NCND was to articulate policies and development objectives of the people and ensure that the objectives form the basis for the development agenda and intervention programmes by stakeholders, solicited the support of all for a robust deliberation that would contribute to a stable, peaceful and developed region.

While acknowledging the importance of the NCND as the highest advisory body to the federal government on the Niger Delta region, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, who was represented by the deputy governor, Mr. Moses Frank Ekpo noted that, “development initiatives have to do with laying out plans to ensure that data-driven evidence and analysis are used effectively in policy and practice to end poverty, reduce inequality and increase resilience.”

Emmanuel explained that lack of such initiatives, “creates gaps in effective development of human capacity and the physical needs of man, giving rise to poverty, crime and underdevelopment of the human environment.”

The region, he said, should aim at the fullest benefit from its crude oil wealth for the greater benefit of its people, since it is endowed with crude petroleum, with current statistics indicating that oil and gas contribute about 75 per cent of foreign exchange of the nation’s total earnings.

He suggested that considerations should be given to critical issues such as the proposed Water Resources Bill, the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Forensic Audit Report, harmonization plans and the inauguration of a board for the NDDC, among other burning issues to achieve ultimate impact of enhancing lives in the region.