NDDC Discusses Partnership With UN Agency

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has stated that it is willing to collaborate with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to address environmental challenges impeding Niger Delta development efforts.

According to Seledi Thompson-Wakama, Director of Corporate Affairs, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, stated this during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt by Mr. Olivier Van Damme, team leader in the Strategy, Planning, and Coordination Section of the United Nations Satellite Centre, UNOSAT.

Ogbuku, who was represented by Sir Victor Antai, NDDC Executive Director, Projects, said it was a great opportunity to collaborate with UNITAR, which had the necessary capacity for training and empowerment to address environmental challenges.

Ogbuku urged the UN Satellite Centre, which is hosted by UNITAR, to provide long-term solutions to environmental challenges such as flooding in the Niger Delta region, as temporary solutions were not sustainable.

He stated: “We are ready for partnership in finding a long-term solution to the perennial flood in our region,” noting that addressing the flood challenges of the Niger Delta region could not be done by the NDDC alone, and urged collaboration between the Commission and other development agencies.

“NDDC focuses not only on physical infrastructure but also on human capital development and environmental protection.”

Mr Olivies Van Damme, leader of the UNOSAT technical team, also spoke, stating that the UN Satellite Centre’s mission is to promote evidence-based decision-making for peace, security, and resilience through the use of geospatial information technology.

He said, “We are involved in environmental conservation, including flood management. We are concentrating on increasing capacity. We collaborate with our partners to provide AI-powered flood monitoring systems.”

“We assist governmental, non-governmental, and international organisations in increasing their capacities by providing tailored learning solutions that meet their specific requirements.”

In his remarks, NDDC Director, Environmental Control and Protection, Engr. Onuoha Obeka stated that the Commission was constantly looking for ways to improve the development process in the Niger Delta region, noting that “we want to be able to use data to foresee disaster and plan to mitigate the effects.” Collaboration with UNOSAT will also help us train NDDC personnel in that critical area.”

Obeka stated that collaboration with UNOSAT would assist the NDDC in integrating and analysing geospatial information in a comprehensible and user-friendly format, thereby strengthening disaster and climate resilience and supporting sustainable development policies.