The Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, has urged Regional Development Commissions to emulate the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in producing master plans that will be harmonised into a regional development compass.
Momoh gave the charge at the NDDC 2026 Partners for Sustainable Development, PSD, Conference held at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He said each development commission is expected to derive its operational agenda from its master plan, in line with the Ministry’s mandate to coordinate regional development. He disclosed that the Federal Government is working on a new policy framework to harmonise regional development initiatives across the country to promote coordinated and inclusive growth.
The Minister commended the NDDC Board and Management for convening the conference, describing it as timely and necessary. He noted that no single institution can manage the complex challenges of the Niger Delta alone.
He said the region’s progress depends not only on what each stakeholder does, but on how they plan, invest and act together, adding that the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to programmes that expand opportunities, strengthen livelihoods, protect vulnerable communities and guarantee lasting prosperity.
He urged stakeholders to use the conference to interrogate existing practices, challenge what is not working and forge stronger bonds of collaboration.
The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Chinyere Ekomaru, stressed the need for governors of the nine oil-producing states to partner with the NDDC for sustainable development of the region.
Uzodimma said the Imo State Government will continue to support President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to bring hope to the people of the state and the Niger Delta.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, stressed the importance of engaging stakeholders to develop strategies for economic growth and development in the region.
Ogbuku said stakeholder engagement is one of the cardinal points of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration.
“The importance of stakeholders’ engagement is to ensure that projects and activities of government are well understood by the people to create room for synergy,” he said.
He announced that the 1.2-kilometre Kaa-Ataba Bridge linking Khana Local Government Area and Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State will be named after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ogbuku said the Commission has a duty to harness resources from stakeholders and build trust to secure their buy-in and confidence.
“We have gathered at this conference to hear from the stakeholders, to interact with them and rub minds because we realise that we cannot be planning programmes for the region without involving them at the foundational level,” he said.
He disclosed that KPMG, a reputable global business consultancy, has reviewed the Commission’s processes to strengthen its corporate governance system.
“We now have a robust corporate governance structure that fosters accountability and transparency, backed by a clear and measurable set of Key Performance Indicators, KPIs, to track progress toward goals,” he added.
He noted that the emphasis on collaboration aligns with the policies of the Tinubu administration, which prioritises carrying stakeholders along in the development process.
The Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, said the Commission has adopted a new Standard Operating Procedure, SOP, and Governance Advisory Policies as approved by the Board.
Ebie said the SOP and Governance Advisory Policies “shall constitute the Commission’s rule book and strictly guide all processes and operations within the Commission.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, said the Senate Committee would continue to strengthen oversight to ensure transparency, efficiency and timely delivery of projects across the Niger Delta region.
