The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it is collaborating with the United Nations (UN) to identify strategies for aligning Niger Delta development with global standards.
Dr. Patterson Ogon, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics, NDDC, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Port Harcourt by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama.
Ogon said that the plan was adopted by both bodies at a stakeholder dialogue summit on the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Niger Delta region.
He said that the dialogue focused on aligning development efforts with the United Nation’s six Transitions programme to support the Niger Delta Regional Development Strategy.
”It is also focused on bringing solutions to the challenges facing the Niger Delta region,” he said.
The director highlighted the key areas of focus to include problem identification, solution design, and prioritisation of development needs.
He advocated the use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar to boost power generation in the region.
”To achieve this, there is the need for improved access to information and communication technology (ICT) for youths to promote economic independence,” he also said.
He further noted the importance of stakeholder collaboration in delivering quality education and encouraged residents to take advantage of the region’s fertile land to grow food and enhance food security.
simailarly, Mr Stephen Onerhime, a consultant to the Niger Delta Regional Development Strategy, outlined key pillars of the strategy to include economic, infrastructure, social, environmental development, governance, security, and financing mechanisms.
He explained that the strategy provided a harmonised framework for regional development, with built-in monitoring and evaluation tools to track project impact and effectiveness.
In the same vein, the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, said the agency had been implementing soil and groundwater treatment across 65 UNEP-identified sites.
Zabbey epresented by Mr Agunyi Paul, revealed that HYPREP had launched the world’s largest mangrove restoration initiative to rehabilitate areas damaged by decades-long oil pollution.
”HYPREP is focused on monitoring the growth and progress of planted mangroves towards maturity.
”This is significant for the Niger Delta region because the project will help protect shorelines, improve food security, mitigate flooding, and support climate change adaptation efforts in the region,” he said.
The summit brought together development experts, government officials, and civil society representatives to chart a unified path for regional transformation.
The dialogue forms part of ongoing efforts to integrate global development frameworks into local planning and implementation across the Niger Delta.
