The United Nations, UN, and the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, have organised a stakeholders’ dialogue to identify challenges facing the Niger Delta region and to align it with the UN’s Six Transitions and the Niger Delta Regional Development Strategy.

Speaking at the summit on the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, in the Niger Delta region, NDDC Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics, Dr. Patterson Ogon, highlighted the key areas of focus to include problem identification, as well as solution design and prioritisation.

In a statement by NDDCs Director, Corporate Affairs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, noted that Ogon advocated for the adequate use of the region’s natural resources, such as wind and solar, in generating power. He also called for the more effective and efficient use of ICT by the Niger Delta youths to achieve economic independence.

In the area of education, Ogon proposed a synergy between major stakeholders in the Niger Delta region to ensure that quality education was bequeathed to the people of the region. He urged Niger Deltans to take charge of growing their own food, capitalising on the fertile region.

Also, a consultant for the Niger Delta Regional Development Strategy, Mr. Stephen Onerhime, outlined the strategies adopted for the region’s development. According to him, they include: economic, infrastructural, social and environmental development, as well as governance, institutions, security, law and order, and financing the plans.

He highlighted the advantages of the Niger Delta Regional Development Strategy, including a harmonised plan geared towards producing a standard, acceptable framework for the Niger Delta region; a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to ensure the impact of projects in the area, as well as the progress and effectiveness of these projects.

The Projects Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, noted that HYPREP has been implementing remedial activities at the 65 UNEP sites through soil treatment and groundwater treatment. He said that the adopted methodologies for the shoreline cleanup include shoreline treatment and artisanal refinery treatment.

The HYPREP coordinator, represented by Mr. Agunyi Damian Paul, said the agency had launched the world’s largest initiative to restore mangroves damaged by oil pollution, focusing on monitoring the growth and progress of planted mangroves towards maturity. According to him, this is significant for the Niger Delta region because it has the potential to protect shorelines, improve food security, mitigate the impacts of floods, control climate change, and provide adaptation benefits.

Leader of the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities, Jonathan Lokpobiri on Tuesday mobilised youths from the region to stage a protest at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in Abuja, calling for the removal of the Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe.

The protesters accused both top officials of non-performance and financial mismanagement, alleging that their leadership has failed to deliver visible benefits to the Niger Delta despite the region being the mainstay of Nigeria’s oil wealth.

Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Sack Ineffective Leaders” and “The Niger Delta Deserves Accountability”, the youths chanted solidarity songs as they demanded government action against what they described as “systemic neglect and administrative failure.”

Speaking to journalists during the protest, Lokpobiri said the region has continued to suffer underdevelopment, environmental degradation, and exclusion from key oil and gas decision-making processes despite years of promises from successive administrations.

“The NNPCL and NCDMB under their current leadership have shown no meaningful progress in tackling the real issues facing our people,” he declared. “From rising oil theft to lack of transparency in project execution, what we see is failure wrapped in bureaucracy. We demand change now.”

Lokpobiri alleged that billions meant for local content development and oil sector reforms have not translated into tangible results for oil-bearing communities, insisting that an independent audit should be conducted to expose the scale of mismanagement.

He listed four key demands from the protesters:

1. The immediate sack of Ojulari and Ogbe
2. A forensic audit of NNPCL and NCDMB finances.
3. Direct inclusion of Niger Delta youths in oil sector governance.
4. Urgent intervention from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address what they termed “gross leadership failure.”

Ojulari, appointed as NNPCL GCEO in April 2025, came into the office with promises of driving efficiency and transparency in the national oil company.

Ogbe, who has been leading the NCDMB since December 2023, has championed local content initiatives and represented Nigeria at regional oil and gas forums.

Lokpobiri argued that whatever achievements they claim at the federal level have not translated to practical improvements in Niger Delta communities. “We still live with poverty, unemployment, pollution, and lack of infrastructure while our resources are carted away,” he said.

Lokpobiri warned that the demonstration marked only the beginning of a broader mobilisation across the Niger Delta. “This is just the first step,” he said. “If nothing changes, we will take this campaign back home and sustain it until justice is done.”

The action underscores deepening frustrations in the region, where resource control, equity in oil wealth distribution, and accountability from federal agencies remain contentious issues.

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has assured that the Commission will continue to support security agencies to secure the waterways and boost the emerging blue economy in the country.

Speaking during the 2025 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association at Enugu’s International Conference Centre, the NDDC Chief Executive Officer noted that the Blue Economy is the future of the Niger Delta region.

According to Ogbuku, “The blue economy is central to the future of the Niger Delta region. It will strengthen our economy, lessen the burden of youth unemployment, improve food security, and support efforts to adapt to climate change.”

The NDDC boss, who led a team from the Commission, including the Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye, observed that the national policy on marine and blue economy would require the support of the security agencies to succeed.

He emphasised the need for collaboration to ensure that the Niger Delta region remained peaceful, noting that development could only take place in an atmosphere of peace and security.

He stated: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to the peace and development of the Niger Delta region, and he has given us a matching order to embark on legacy projects that will stand the test of time and impact lives in the region. We cannot achieve this if there is no peace.”

“For us in NDDC, we will continue to collaborate with the security agencies to ensure that there is sustainable peace that will usher in development. The security forces have made so many sacrifices to ensure the safety of the region, and we will complement their efforts by executing legacy projects.”

Ogbuku noted: “We have always supported military formations and security agencies, and we are willing to do more. Last year, we did a lot for the Nigerian Navy, the Army and the Police. Our contributions are aimed at enhancing and supporting what the security agencies are doing.”

The Managing Director affirmed that the Commission was engaging all stakeholders to ensure harmony and cooperation in the task of developing the hitherto neglected Niger Delta region.
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 has demonstrated a commitment to achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, who is concerned about the development of the Niger Delta region.

The Managing Director affirmed the positive impact of the “Light Up the Niger Delta” campaign, which he observed had reduced criminality in the various communities and enhanced commercial activities in the areas.

He noted: “We decided to adopt the clean energy approach, which not only provides light but helps in the fight to mitigate the effects of climate change on our environment and earn carbon credits for the Commission.”

Ogbuku told the body of lawyers that the Commission was making progress with its various youth development and empowerment schemes, including building a comprehensive database of the youth population of the Niger Delta region.

Ogbuku said further: “We have also inaugurated the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture, NDCCITMA, which, along with the Bank of Industry, will serve as a platform for supporting young entrepreneurs in the region on a sustainable basis.

Intervening in the plenary session, an Executive Director at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr. Chudi Offodile, commended the NDDC’s strategy of inter-agency collaboration in maintaining peace in the maritime environment.

He noted: “The Niger Delta region provides an estimated 75 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings. Also evident is that most of Nigeria’s maritime domain and international coastline outside of Lagos, all of which are within the Gulf of Guinea, are in the coast of the Niger Delta, and this region is critical to the development of Nigeria’s blue economy.”

The Bishop of the Diocese of Ogbia. Rt. Rev. Tamunotari Matthew Obaze, has extolled the virtues of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, commending his “immense contributions to the development of the Niger Delta region.”

Bishop Obaze gave the commendation during the 50th Birthday Thanksgiving service held at the church auditorium of the St. Mark Anglican Church, Ayatoro, under the Ecclesiastic Province of the Niger Delta, Bayelsa State.

Many dignitaries, including the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai, and the Bayelsa State Representative on the Board of NDDC, Senator Dimaro Denyanbofa, and other Directors of the Commission, attended the Thanksgiving Service.

The clergy, who applauded the NDDC boss for recognising God’s favour in his life, said such an act is a gateway to more blessings for mankind.

In his sermon, taken from the Book of Psalms 103, themed “There is a reason to praise God, “ the clergy urged everyone to learn to appreciate the love of God in every situation, as demonstrated by the celebrant.

He stated: “It is essential for me to use this opportunity to thank God for what He is doing in the region through the Managing Director of NDDC, which is a clear indication of God’s special love for his life.

“Needless to say, he has encountered various challenges in life, yet he deemed it fit to come and appreciate God’s goodness upon him, and I want to encourage every participant, everyone, to learn from this trait of thanking God in good and bad times. Just within 50 years, God has used him to impact people’s lives”

The cleric further gave a thumbs-up to the NDDC’s helmsman for being a true son of the soil, adding that the church and the region were confident in the leadership qualities of Chief Samuel Ogbuku in bringing the dividends of democracy to the entire area.

In his message of appreciation, the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogboku, said the ceremony was put together to honour God for the love and achievements recorded in the region through the Commission under his watch.

The NDDC boss also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing him, the board and management of the Commission, as well as staff who have contributed to his successes over the years.

He further stated that NDDC was committed to the ideal of partnering with the Bayelsa State Government in the area of development and human capacity building.

The Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, led by its Chairman, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, has inspected ongoing road construction projects being executed by the Commission in Cross River State.

Members of the Senate Committee, accompanied by the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku and the Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai, inspected the 20-kilometre Okomita–Uyanga–Ehom Road in Akamkpa and Biase Local Government Areas.

In a statement by Seledi Thompson-Wakama, NDDCS Director, Corporate Affairs noted that the team also inspected the 1.5 km Idundu Junction–Idundu Bridge Road in Akpabuyo LGA, and 10.8km Aking–Osomba Road in Akamkpa Local Government Area.
Speaking during the inspection, the NDDC Chief Executive Officer reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to delivering quality infrastructure.

He stressed: “The NDDC is determined to deliver durable projects that truly benefit our people. These roads will ease transportation burdens and stimulate socio-economic growth in Cross River State and across the Niger Delta. We will continue to work closely with the Senate Committee and stakeholders to ensure transparency, accountability, and timely project delivery.”

Giving details of the projects, the NDDC’s Executive Director of Projects, Dr Victor Antai, described the Okomita–Uyanga–Ehom Road as a lifeline for commerce, agriculture, education, and healthcare in the region. He assured that the Commission would closely monitor the contractor to ensure quality and timely completion.

He noted: “This road reconstruction is not just about asphalt and concrete; it is about opening up communities, reducing travel time, and boosting economic activities.”
Senator Ekpenyong, while commending Governor Bassey Otu’s infrastructural drive, emphasised the Senate’s support for the NDDC’s focus on Renewed Hope projects that directly impact communities.

“These roads are vital lifelines for our people; opening up communities, boosting trade, and improving access to markets, schools, and healthcare. The 10th Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio, remains fully committed to supporting the NDDC in completing these projects to the highest standards,” he said.

The inspection team was received by the Cross River State Director, Dr. Daniel Ajunwa, Chairman of Akamkpa LGA, Hon. Felix Akposi, alongside State Legislators and Councillors representing the host communities.