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The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) commemorated its 25th anniversary with a World Press Conference where its Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, outlined the agency’s achievements, ongoing challenges, and renewed focus on completing impactful projects across the region.
Reflecting on the complex issues of abandoned projects and contract management, Dr. Ogbuku emphasised the legal and procedural hurdles the Commission faces.
“When you talk about cancellation of projects, you don’t just come and start cancelling projects, there are contractual agreements, which will bring about a lot of litigations,” he said.
He further explained, “Some of these contracts that have been abandoned, they have payment certificates, obligations that we need to also pay them. So if you’ve not paid the contract, how do you tell the contractor to leave the site?”
Dr. Ogbuku pointed to the limitations imposed by the region’s climate and legal frameworks: “In the Niger Delta, we have only four months of dry season — November, December, January, February. Thereafter, rain starts.”
He stressed that project prioritisation is essential given these constraints: “You must also ensure you prioritise, because you cannot spread yourself too thin.”
Looking ahead, the NDDC plans to consolidate resources on projects that will leave a lasting impact. “For us, we are also targeting those legacy projects. Why don’t we put our funds together to complete those legacy projects? The ones we have to partner to complete, we partner to complete them,” Dr. Ogbuku stated.
For 25 years, the NDDC has spearheaded efforts to foster sustainable development in the oil-rich Niger Delta. The Commission reiterated its commitment to transforming the region into “one that is economically vibrant, socially stable, ecologically sustainable, and politically peaceful.”
