Ogbuku: Degradation, human development gap in Niger Delta huge

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has said that degradation and human development gap in the region is huge and can’t be tackled by the commission alone.

The Managing Director/CEO of the Commission, Mr Samuel Ogbuku said this during a one-day policy dialogue with development partners in Abuja on Thursday.

Ogbuki decried the negative public perception of the NDDC, stressing that the NDDC may not have achieved its mandate 100 per cent, but its efforts had so far contributed to making the Niger Delta one of the most peaceful regions in the country.

He called on development partners and donor agencies to join hands with the NDDC to make the region prosperous.

“We are here to appeal to you to consider the Niger Delta as your own. For agencies, we say, support us.

“For the development partners, we say join us to complete ongoing major projects. NDDC alone cannot develop the Niger Delta. We need more funding. We need support,” Ogbuku said.

The Executive Director (Projects), Mr. Charles Ogunmola explained that the scale of infrastructural deficiency, degradation and human development gap in the Niger Delta was enormous.

“On coming on board, we resolved that we must make a difference and this is the next in the series of meetings we will have with partners, to help us drive our agenda for the Niger Delta,” he said.