NDDC, Stakeholders commence deliberations on sustainable development strategies

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has commenced deliberations on how to improve the Niger delta region, through collaboration between major stakeholders with effective and realistic policies and plan.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the meeting of the partners for sustainable development (PSD) forum in Port Harcourt, at the Hotel Presidental, today July 19, the acting Managing Director of the Commission,  Mrs. Ibim Semenitari said, ‘The key objective of the PSD is to provide a clearing house of information for stakeholders during the project planning, budgeting and implementation stages, to ensure that stakeholders are aware of what others are doing and planning to do. It also affords stakeholders the opportunity to devolve development functions and avoid duplication of efforts and waste of scarce resources.

“The main objective of today’s meeting is to jump start a platform for effective collaboration amongst the multiplicity of stakeholders in the development of Niger Delta Region. Although the PSD forum has been meeting sparingly since December 2004, we cannot report much success in the areas of public-private or public – private partnership’

The NDDC boss further hinted that ‘ partners will look at various challenges plaguing the Niger Delta Region and proffer the way forward. For example,  the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs  (MNDA) shall brief partners on its intervention strategy in the region and the security agencies will make a presentation on the security situation in the Niger delta and what is being done /can be done. We shall listen to other presentations on livelihood; partnership/ partnering ; driving investments in the region; and the role of the civil society in development. The goal is to bring all partners to speed on the challenges and opportunities inherent in the region. At the end of the presentations, syndicate groups would be set up to discuss the papers and a communique would be issued at the end of the meeting”

While reiterating the importance of synergy between development partners, she commended President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, the members of the Federal Executive Council , Members of the National Assembly, Governors of the nine Niger delta states and other stakeholders for their contribution.