The NDDC Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, said this during a courtesy visit by members of the presidential committee at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.
Ogbuku said the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region would be achieved through collaboration.
This was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Friday by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Ibitoye Abosede, and made available to newsmen.
He remarked that the interventionist agency had recently inaugurated a Committee on public and private partnership to drive its partnerships efforts.
Ogbuku assured that the NDDC would continue to engage development partners to bring prosperity to the Niger Delta region because a peaceful Niger Delta region would translate to a peaceful Nigeria.
The statement read, “The Niger Delta is very important to Nigeria. Once there is peace in the Niger Delta, Nigeria will be peaceful. If the region prospers, Nigeria will also prosper.
“I assure you that the NDDC is prepared to do whatever is necessary to ensure that our programmes impact the Niger Delta region positively especially the youths of the region.
“As it is, most of your programmes will bring growth to the Niger Delta region.”
The NDDC MD further said the new management was committed to working with agencies that would contribute to the development of the Niger Delta.
Ogbuku added, “We have to fashion out the PPP model of expanding the development of the Niger Delta.
“As you can see some of the programmes you have are international projects that will bring funds to the Niger Delta. Most of these programmes will impact on our youths and I can tell you that we are very much prepared to utilize this opportunity.”
Speaking further, he directed the Chairman of the NDDC PPP Committee, Engr. Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, to liaise with the presidential committee on the partnership.
He underlined the importance the Commission attached to the PPP Committee, noting that it was placed under the supervision of both the NDDC Executive Director Finance and Administration, Maj-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd), and the Executive Director, Projects, Charles Ogunmola.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee, Dahiru Muhammed, observed that the Committee’s programmes were centered round agriculture and capacity building.
Muhammed said, “Through our training and capacity building programmes, we can help the SMEI’s in the Niger Delta region with transfer of technology and funding. We can partner with the NDDC in the area of training out-of-school children in different vocations.”
