NDDC woos development partners, point out areas of assistance

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has urged its development partners to collaborate with the commission in tackling challenges in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking at a one-day policy dialogue with development partners and donor agencies in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr Shuaib Belgore, listed several areas of partnership currently open for assistance.

Belgore said the call had become necessary to present stakeholders a window of opportunity to collectively review it’s past development effort in the region, with a view to charting a new and robust road-map premised on probity and corporate governance structure.

“You may wish to consider under-listed thematic areas for possible assistance and collaboration: negotiation and peace building effort: facilitate engagement with communities in the region, enlightenment campaigns on peaceful co-existence, support and strengthening existing security architecture.

“Empowerment of youths and women: facilitation of vocational training programmes, start-up capitals, post empowerment monitoring and mentorship.

“Health care intervention: equipping of completed health centres and hospitals, provision of drugs and medical consumables, conduct of health researches and medical outreach.

“Others are public private partnership: opportunities abound for partnership in the construction of roads, bridges, markets, agro processing plants, skill acquisition centres, health centres etc.

“Some of these projects have attained appreciable level of completion i.e. 30% -70% while new ones could be initiated for partnership.

“Provision of ICT equipment: Provision of Computer Desktops, ‘Laptops, Storage Devices, Power Back-ups etc to enhance service delivery of the Ministry and NDDC; –

“Capacity building for Staff of MNDA & NDDC: Facilitation of regular Training of staff on ICT and other professional areas for optimal performance; and

“Technical support/Assistance for Ministry and NDDC: Provision of Consultancy Services to drive policy initiation and implementation,” he said.

On his part, the Managing Director of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, expressed the commission ‘s readiness to partner with development partners.

“The Niger Delta today is peaceful, it is is one of the most peaceful region in the country as you can attest.we have also put some building foundation, Internal policy, internal administration in NDDC”

“This will also go a long way to affect our project management, everything about NDDC. So, that is to say if you’re coming to invest in NDDC, you should be rest assured that these projects are going to be judiciously used for the benefit of the people of the Niger Delta,” he said.

Presenting a paper, titled “A sea of opportunities in the Niger Delta Region,” the Director/Chairman Public Private Partnership, NDDC, Engr. Emmanuel Audu-Ohwaborua, said “the Niger Delta Regional Power Pool Project, Will “Transmit network of 19 gas powered generation, link the 9 braced commission states and supply power to the road centres to guarantee cheap, reliable, and sustainable power in the region at the cost of USD 13 Billion.

Audu-Ohwaborua added that “This will entail a 330KV Transmission Network (The Niger Delta Regional Power Pool) that links the 9 NDR states and supplies 7GW of subsidized power to the load centres (27 Dynamic industrial parks) one per Senatorial District.

“The East-West Coastal Road project will connect Odupani junction in Cross- River State will connect over 100 communities, with 704 KM, 104 KM spurs, 180 bridges then terminate at Ibeju- Lekki Epe expressway in Lagos’