NDDC Gets N100bn In 4 Years
Plans 200,000 new jobs in Niger Delta
By Mike Oduniyi
The Niger Delta Develop-ment Commission (NDDC) has received N100 billion in the last four years in form of statutory contributions from the Federal Government, states and oil companies.
The NDDC is also set to create 200,000 new jobs in different sectors of the economy, under the 15-year Master Plan launched last week as part of efforts to check the spate of unrest in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.
The Managing Director of the Commission, Hon. Emma-nuel Aguariavwodo, who disclosed this at the weekend in an interview with newsmen stated that the N100bn allocation is being used by the Commission to address developmental issues in the nine oil producing states in the region.
The nine oil producing states are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Cross River States. Others include, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers States.
Aguariavwodo who also spoke on the Niger Delta development masterplan, stated that considering the physical terrain of the area, the commission would require more fund to address the developmental mandate given to it by the Obasanjo administration. He added that the organisation has laid solid foundation for the transformation of the region.
The Commission, according to Aguariavwodo, had been able to resolve the dispute with oil producing companies over their contribution towards its funding. The oil firms had protested the requirement that they should be contributing three percent of their annual operating budget to the operations of the commission.
The NDDC chief executive said the commission has embarked on human capital development as well as other socio-economic activities aimed at wealth creation for the region under a sustainable development strategy.
He stated that the commission is in strategic alliance with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which is looking into three main areas. These areas of development, he stated, include extension of establishment of development projects, in all the nine states of the region as opposed to three states.
He noted that NDDC will take part in the funding of the projects being sponsored by UNDP so that the entire region will benefit while production of human development reports are to be updated on yearly basis for the UN body. The Managing Director pointed out that beyond the establishment or siting of projects in the region, the commission considers it necessary to put in place a road map for the comprehensive development of the area, the idea which he said led to the formulation of the Niger Delta Development master plan.
Presenting the draft of the plan to stakeholders in Port-Harcourt recently, Aguariavwobo explained that the onerous task of fashioning out a strategic, workable and people oriented master plan that would serve as a compass to direct the development of the ecological-challenging region is necessary and has been accomplished.
"The master plan is not for the NDDC. It is only being midwived by the NDDC for the whole of the Niger Delta region," he said.
"The NDDC, master plan inclusive, is a statement by the Federal Government towards its commitment to developing the Niger Delta region," he said, adding that the commission would swiftly begin the implementation process next January.
The Managing Director explained that the 15-year master plan will no doubt assist the stakeholders, government and any institution within and outside the country to use the document as a guide for any project that would be expected in the region.
"The plan is targetting the creation of employment in different areas. We are looking at how we can create over 200,000 jobs within the next few years for different sectors," said Aguariavwodo.
According to him, it is the strong belief and hope that all state governments in the region, the local governments, corporate organisations and the people of the region would strengthen the existing co-operation and strong partnership with the commission, especially at the stage of actual implementation in order to make the effort worth the trouble.
He pointed out that apart from guiding against duplication of projects, the master plan would help to channel the available resources into beneficiary projects for the people.
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