Tinubu
Tinubu Orders Completion of Stalled Niger Delta Projects
By Joshua Uti
President Bola Tinubu has affirmed that his administration has instructed the completion of several abandoned projects across the Niger Delta region. He underscored the Niger Delta’s pivotal role in Nigeria’s economic prosperity, describing it as “the goose that lays the golden egg. Speaking at the plenary session of the Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) 25th-anniversary celebration in Port Harcourt on Saturday, President Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, highlighted the significance of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. This major infrastructure undertaking, he noted, would serve as a crucial alternative to the existing East-West Road.
The President asserted that this flagship project “will foster trade and connectivity across the region while opening up new investment prospects in the hydrocarbon belt and spurring the growth of eco-tourism and blue economy-based industries in the region.”
He further charged the NDDC to accelerate the conclusion of critical, yet stalled, projects vital for the region’s development. “I have also directed the board and management of the commission, through the Minister of Regional Development, to complete and deliver abandoned critical projects, including the Kaa-Ataba Bridge, Okrika-Borokiri Bridge, Bonny Ring Road, Gbaregolo Roads and Bridges, and the East-West Sampou Roads and Bridges, among several others,” Tinubu stated.
President Tinubu lauded the NDDC leadership for their endeavours in enhancing the commission’s service delivery. He urged them to maintain this impetus and persist in their efforts towards boosting the region’s development.
“Beyond infrastructural development, the NDDC must continue to prioritise human capital development, as it remains the primary index of progress,” he emphasised. “Projects and programmes that directly impact the lives of ordinary people in rural communities must be prioritised. In this regard, I commend the Board and Management for the ‘Light Up the Niger Delta’ initiative, which has not only reduced night crimes and enhanced security but has also extended trading hours and improved social life across the region, While congratulating the commission on its silver anniversary, he appealed to the people of the Niger Delta to continue backing his administration’s programmes and policies.
Speaking at the same event, former President Goodluck Jonathan called on the NDDC to prioritise “long-term, people-focused infrastructure” over politically “motivated short-term projects,” contending that frequent leadership changes had stifled the commission’s impact. “In just 25 years, the NDDC has had over 11 CEOs. I thank the President for retaining the current CEO,” Jonathan remarked. “Let the next 25 years be defined by legacy projects, not just visions and promises. Resist the temptation to award projects without proper funding.”
Echoing Jonathan’s concerns, Senate President Godswill Akpabio attributed the NDDC’s underperformance to leadership instability and internal corruption. Akpabio highlighted, “For over 20 years, NDDC operated from a rented apartment at N300m per year, without connection to the national grid. Yet diesel contracts were preferred over a one-time N70m grid connection.”
On her part, the Director of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, urged the NDDC to deliver tangible outcomes. “Over N7tn has been sunk into the NDDC since inception. How many solid roads have you built? The Niger Delta still ranks low on human development. A lot needs to be done to meet the aspirations of the people,” she declared.
Meanwhile, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the current CEO of the NDDC, assured stakeholders of a new era of impact driven by collaborations. “We don’t want to be defined by our past. We have decided to create a future for the Niger Delta through partnerships with IOCs, traditional rulers, and stakeholders,” he concluded.
