Thursday July 10, 2025
By TheNewsDESK |
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Samuel Ogbuku, has expressed delight over an improved statutory financial obligation rendered by the management of International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other stakeholders to its operational funding in the last two years, noting that it has helped in enhancing its engagements in the region, The SUN reported.
Speaking during an interactive media session in Asaba, Delta State, as part of the activities marking its 25th anniversary celebration on Monday, July 7, 2025, the Managing Director disclosed that the decision of its management and board to review the relationship with its various stakeholders has yielded positive responses in terms of more financial commitments by the partners.
He explained that one of the greatest achievements of the current board and management was to seek ways of improving its financial base, especially with the IOCs, and had to engage the management of these companies in a series of dialogues where they opened up that they equally needed some projects to be cited within their host communities as well.
According to him, “It was during those engagements that the management of these companies made it clear that their reluctance to meet up with their counterparts’ funding before now was because the previous management did not consider our host communities in selecting their projects, and at the end of the day, the people in such communities felt they were not being impacted, and this put so much burden on them.”
“It was after our series of engagements that we now have staff of these IOCs and other partners sit with us and make inputs in our choices of projects to these communities, and since we took that decision, we have been receiving the cooperation of these establishments in terms of meeting their financial obligations, and our revenue generation has since improved.”
It was based on that understanding that we are now able to increase our projects’ spread across the region, in line with the marching order by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to make a significant impact in touching the lives of people in various communities that are oil-producing areas.
Speaking of the achievements of the commission in the last 25 years, he hinted that the frequent changes in management and boards of NDDC have caused setbacks to development in the region.
He stated, “For us at NDDC, we are targeting legacy projects. Our mandate is to complete those critical projects. We are intervening in critical areas because they are our responsibility.”
Ogbuku stated that under the leadership of the current Board and Management, the Commission had demonstrated commitment to achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, who is concerned about the development of the Niger Delta region.
He said the commission developed a policy of transitioning from transaction to transformation and digitalising their procurement process, so that nobody can fake the procurement documents of the Commission.
According to Ogbuku, “Through the initiative of the Board and Management, we have restructured the administrative architecture of the Commission to its 13 statutory Directorates, introduced robust Corporate Governance protocols, including KPIs and SOPs, through collaboration with KPMG. This formalised a value-driven institutional culture anchored on ethics and performance.”
He recalled that last year, the NDDC commissioned five major development projects across the Niger Delta region. He said this included the 27.5-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road, constructed in partnership with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). The road, with seven bridges and 50 culverts, connects 14 communities in Bayelsa State.
“Similarly, we commissioned the 6km Iko-Atabrikang-Akata-Opulom-Ikot Inwang-Okoroutip-Iwochang Road and 600m Ibeno Bridge in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, as well as the 9km Obehie-Oke-Ikpe Road in Ukwa West LGA of Abia State.
He said in the area of electricity, “We commissioned the 45-km double-circuit 33KV feeder line from Omotosho Power Station to Okitipupa in Ondo State. This electrification project supplies light to the 25 local governments that have been in darkness for 15 years.”
“We also inaugurated the 1×15MVA 33/11KV electricity injection substation in Amufi, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area in Benin City, Edo State.”
Ogbuku pledged that the NDDC would adhere strictly to the President’s directive to the Commission to complete all ongoing projects in the region, including roads, bridges, schools, and healthcare facilities.
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