Minister of Regional Development Abubakar Momoh has called for greater unity among Niger Delta stakeholders, urging governments, businesses, communities and development partners to work together to accelerate development across the region.
Momoh made the call on Wednesday in Port Harcourt at the 2026 Partners for Sustainable Development Conference organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, with the theme, “Synergy for Transformation.”
He said the scale of the Niger Delta’s infrastructure, economic and environmental challenges meant no single institution could address them alone.
According to the minister, sustainable development would require stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments, the NDDC, private sector, traditional institutions, development partners and local communities.
He urged stakeholders to move beyond ceremonial declarations and focus on measurable results backed by clearly defined programmes, responsibilities, timelines and mechanisms for tracking progress.
Momoh also disclosed that the Federal Government was working towards a National Policy on Regional Development aimed at harmonising the activities of regional development commissions and aligning their interventions with national development priorities.
He said regional development plans should be consistent with federal policies, while calling for increased investment in infrastructure, agriculture, agro-processing, renewable energy, digital services, transport, tourism, manufacturing and rural economies.
The minister cited ongoing infrastructure projects in the Niger Delta, including the 1.2-kilometre Ataba-Kaaba Bridge in Rivers State, which is to be named President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Bridge, as evidence of the administration’s commitment to development in the region.
He said the bridge, along with road, electricity and water projects, demonstrated the importance of partnerships in delivering infrastructure and improving living conditions.
Momoh also urged traditional rulers, governors, communities, youths and women to take greater ownership of development initiatives.
He stressed that infrastructure alone could not eradicate poverty without corresponding investment in livelihoods, skills, markets and local economies.
Senate Seeks Legal Backing For NDDC Master Plan
Chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, called for the institutionalisation of the NDDC regional master plan through an amendment to the commission’s enabling law.
Ekpenyong said embedding the plan in legislation would ensure that the commission’s development direction was not dependent on the goodwill or personal convictions of individuals in leadership positions.
He said the Niger Delta needed to move “from extraction to production, from raw materials to value addition, from intervention to enterprise, and from environmental degradation to resilience”.
The senator urged the NDDC to focus on economic transformation and ensure that resources derived from the region contributed to the development of sustainable businesses, infrastructure, skills and institutions.
NDDC Plans Digitisation And Community Monitoring
NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the commission had introduced a governance framework developed by KPMG to strengthen accountability, checks and balances, and institutional continuity.
Ogbuku said the framework had been approved by the NDDC board and reviewed by anti-corruption agencies, adding that it would establish clearer roles and limits for board members, management and staff.
He also announced plans to fully digitise the commission, saying automation would improve efficiency and help reduce delays and opportunities for corruption.
According to Ogbuku, stakeholders at the conference had agreed to establish a PSD Community Monitoring Committee to track the implementation of commitments and present a scorecard at the next conference.
He reiterated that the NDDC could not develop the Niger Delta alone and called for stronger partnerships with state governments, private companies, communities and other stakeholders.
Governors Urged To Deepen NDDC Partnership
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State stressed the need for governors of the nine oil-producing states to work more closely with the NDDC to advance sustainable development across the region.
Uzodinma, represented by his deputy, Chinyere Ekomaru, said the Imo State Government would continue to support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and efforts to improve conditions in the state and the wider Niger Delta.
Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Godknows Boladei Igali, commended the NDDC board and management for promoting stakeholder engagement.
Igali called on the Federal Government to constitute the presidential monitoring committee provided for under the NDDC Act.
He also stressed the importance of institutionalising effective policies so they can survive changes in government.
According to him, the effective operation of the advisory and oversight structures provided under the NDDC Act, including regular meetings, would strengthen accountability and help ensure that the commission remains responsive to the people of the Niger Delta.
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