NDDC Seeks UN Partnership To Drive Development In Niger Delta

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is actively seeking partnerships with the United Nations (UN) and its affiliated agencies to support development efforts in the Niger Delta.

This initiative seeks to use the UN’s expertise and resources to address pressing issues and improve the socioeconomic well-being of the region’s people.

Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, led a delegation to the UN regional office in Abuja, where he emphasised the Commission’s commitment to collaboration with the international organisation.

He emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts, stating that regional state governments and the NDDC could not achieve sustainable development on their own.

“We need to collaborate with the UN because of its international reach as a global organisation with multiple affiliations,” Dr. Ogbuku stated.

He specifically requested assistance in key areas such as providing portable and affordable drinking water powered by solar generators, reforestation of mangrove swamps affected by oil exploration, and increasing access to renewable energy sources such as solar street lights and mini-grids for homes.

Beyond environmental concerns, Dr. Ogbuku advocated for UN involvement in health, education, youth training, gender development, and food security, believing that increased collaboration would significantly improve the Niger Delta’s social and economic status.

His Excellency Mohamed Malick Fall, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (UNRHC) in Nigeria, expressed the UN’s willingness to work with the NDDC to accelerate regional development.

“We want to look at the Niger Delta in the context of accelerated development, not just for environmental pollution,” Mr Fall said.

He described the UN’s strategy for engagement through its six transition partnership policies, which focus on access to food security, job creation, education, and renewable energy.

Mr. Fall emphasised that these areas would serve as a starting point, in line with the UN’s larger vision centred on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He acknowledged the Niger Delta region’s significant contributions to Nigeria’s economic development and assured the NDDC of future fruitful collaboration.

The NDDC, led by Dr. Ogbuku, remains optimistic that this collaboration with the UN will usher in a new era of sustainable development and prosperity for the people of the Niger Delta.