The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has emphasised the importance of legal advocacy in accelerating the development of the Niger Delta region.
According to Dr Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, legal advocacy holds the potential to address the complex challenges facing the region.
Dr Ogbuku made this assertion during the 2025 MOOT and Mock Trial Competition, which featured participation from 20 law faculties across universities in the Niger Delta.
Represented by Mr Boma Iyaye, NDDC’s Executive Director of Finance and Administration, said, ”We are passionate about education, and as such, we remain committed to supporting the growth of education in the Niger Delta.”
The competition focused on key legal areas relevant to the region, including environmental law, oil and gas, and sustainable development.
The NDDC has invested in tertiary institutions, including the construction of hostels in various universities and polytechnics across the Niger Delta.
Professor Zaccheus Adangor, a former Attorney-General of Rivers State, described the legal profession as noble, honourable, and learned.
Adangor urged the student participants to demonstrate honesty, integrity, and good character throughout their career.
“Students must remain open to new ideas, as the legal profession requires deep and varied knowledge.
”Legal practitioners should also invest in continuous learning, acquiring both hard and digital copies of books, in their role as ministers in the temple of justice,” he advised.
Also, Justice Daketima Kio of the Rivers State High Court commended the NDDC for the initiative, expressing confidence that the programme would foster a more united and developed region.
On his part, Mr Victor Arenyeka, NDDC’s Acting Director for Legal Services, explained that the competition was designed to prepare students to confront the specific challenges facing the Niger Delta.
Arenyeka encouraged the students to seize the opportunity to broaden their legal knowledge and lay a solid foundation for successful careers in the legal profession.
The competition tested participants on environmental law, oil and gas, and sustainable development, areas critical to the region’s development.
