Experts Task NDDC Directorate of Legal Services on Technology, Efficiency in Public Services

Sunday Okobi

The Directorate of Legal Services of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been urged to up its game to provide the professional gateway for the engagements of the interventionist agency with the people of the region it was created to serve.

These experts emphasised seriously on the use of technology, training, and retraining of the officials of the Directorate to enhance efficiency and specialization of their roles in the commission.

At a retreat organised by the Directorate of the Commission held in Lagos yesterday, one of the resource persons, Malachy Ugwummadu esq, who dwelt on the sub-theme: ‘Promoting Efficiency and Excellence in Legal Service Delivery’, emphasised the importance of the department to success of the agency in the Niger Delta region.

In his address, he adopted an approach that examines the enabling statute, the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment ETC) 2000 in details and had intermittent recourse to the repealed pioneer Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission Decree as well as the extant Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) (Establishment Etc) Amendment Act 2017.

He highlighted the relevant sections of the Act that relate to the specialized schedule and operations of the legal services department hugely needed for an efficient and effective commission.

“This address emphasizes few judicial authorities in a practical demonstration of the knowledge, expertise and skill set expected from drivers of this Directorate. In the event, the address provides some recommendations and innovations towards an enhanced and improved legal service delivery for the commission.

“Therefore, the directorate requires skill sets, professional knowledge, and technical know-how which its officials must possess with a view to safeguarding and facilitating the attainment of the objectives of the commission. We have also identified the inadequacies of the applicable legal frameworks and the constraint of their optimal implementations and applications and focuses on recommended proposal for organizational reforms and efficiencies,” he posited.

Ugwummadu noted that a detailed analysis of the functions of the NDDC under Section 7 of the Act provided greater insights and perspectives to the needs and operations of the commission.

According to him, “In view of the decided authorities examined, the position of the laws became clearer on some of the recondite areas of controversies applicable to the commission and, in particular, the Directorate of Legal Services. In the event, the following proposals are submitted, with profound respect, as my recommendations moving forward: ‘A functional and structured system of partnership, consultation, and collaboration with the National Assembly in all the processes of legislations, amendments and reviews that affect the commission.

‘Procurement of cutting edge and state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology to fast-track outputs and improved productivity; effective coordination of the activities of this Directorate to enhance information dissemination and avoid actions at cross purposes.

‘There must be regular domestic and international outreach programmes designed to expose practitioners in the Directorate to international best practices through sustainable peer-review mechanisms; there must also embrace improved remunerations and reward systems, as well as discipline, determinable and measured output, and control at the workplace.”

Also, in her remarks, Mrs. Adebomi Adekeye esq, another resource person, urged the officials of the Directorate to embrace technology to improve their services.

In her presentation on the sub-theme: ‘Driving Legal Service Efficiency and Excellence Through Technology and Innovation’, she quoted Peter Drucker saying: “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence, it is to act with yesterday’s logic”, calling on the department to quickly master technology in its work to avoid obsolesce in the system.

Adekeye stated that embracing technology is a strategic imperative for the Directorate because “it enhances contract management risk mitigation and regulatory compliance, which are key to NDDC’s socio-economic mission.”

On operational efficiency, she noted that tools like contract management systems, e-discovery, and legal analytics streamline workflows reduce errors, and enable proactive legal advice, adding that in a strategic role in governance, “technology supports drafting and enforcing policies to address contemporary challenges, ensuring precision, speed, and accountability in stakeholder engagement.”

In his opening address, the Head of the Directorate and Director of Legal Services of the NDDC, Dr. Stephen Onome Ighomuaye, stated that work-related retreats are designed to help a group reflect on their organisation, contemplate their purpose and work towards their goals, including promoting professional development, team cohesion, and strategic planning, therefore, urging his team members to take the retreat seriously.

According to him, “In the Directorate of Legal Services, our annual retreat is a time when we collectively take a few days off away from the stressful demands of the workspace to a more relaxed environment, learn and unlearn new concepts to aid our service delivery, while engaging in various social activities geared towards recharging our mental batteries, rejuvenating our physical fitness and comprehensively repositioning ourselves for better efficiency in our service delivery.

“This year’s theme: Promoting Legal Service Efficiency and Excellence in the Public Sector, is particularly fitting as it reflects our avowed commitment to continue to raise the bar of Excellence in all aspects of our service delivery in the Directorate.

“The role of the Directorate of Legal Services remains pivotal and centrally important in the operations of the NDDC, and will continue to be so in the years to come.

“Therefore, we cannot afford to drop our guard of excellence, hard work, and effective service delivery to the commission and the region. We must continuously strive to be the best as a Directorate and as individuals. We must embrace the ideals of continuous personal development and teamwork while making giant strides. The Commission and the region require nothing less from us.

“I implore all participants that while we unwind, we should take the knowledge-sharing sessions of the retreat very seriously as they provide ample opportunity for constructive intellectual engagement and professional development that would come in handy when we return home.”