Get Guardian on GoogleGreater accountability, integrity and institutional responsibility are essential to the success of government agencies, as sustainable development depends on public institutions being responsive to citizens’ needs and accountable for the resources entrusted to them.
This was the position of stakeholders at the 2026 Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)’s MasterClass, organised in Lagos by the Office of the Executive Director, Corporate Services (EDCS), with the theme, ‘Beyond Service Delivery: Institutional Accountability, Stakeholders Satisfaction and Sustainable Development Outcomes in NDDC.’
The Executive Director, Corporate Services, Ifedayo Abegunde, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to institutional accountability, stakeholder satisfaction, staff welfare and sustainable development outcomes.
Abegunde, who was represented by the Director of Corporate Governance and Due Process, NDDC, Nzelaw Anele, said the MasterClass provided an opportunity to assess the commission’s institutional processes, review its administrative and operational practices, and identify practical measures to strengthen its capacity to deliver on its development mandate.
He said the commission’s performance should not be measured solely by the number of projects executed, resources deployed or programmes initiated, but also by the quality of its governance, efficiency of internal processes, integrity of operations, stakeholder satisfaction and tangible development outcomes.
He added that corporate service excellence was a collective responsibility requiring the commitment of every department, unit and staff member.
Abegunde stressed that transparency, integrity, accountability, efficiency and value for money must guide the discharge of official responsibilities. He said sound administrative decisions, timely service delivery, professional engagements and proper documentation were vital to building public confidence in the commission.
The MasterClass focused on five areas: public value and development-oriented service delivery; institutional accountability, governance and quality management; sustainable development, accessibility and social inclusion; institutional performance, stakeholder satisfaction and continuous improvement; and staff healthcare, wellness and workplace wellbeing.
The resource persons, Prof/ Sylvester Odion Akhaine of the Department of Political Science, Lagos State University (LASU), and Dr. Olufemi Mosaku-Johnson, National Administrator of the Association of Corporate Governance Professionals of Nigeria, called for stronger institutional accountability and transparency as foundations for effective governance and sustainable development.
Speaking on the theme, Akhaine said government agencies must be willing to acknowledge both their achievements and shortcomings to improve their performance and fulfil their mandates.
Mosaku-Johnson described accountability as essential to good governance, saying public officeholders and government institutions must give proper accounts of the resources and responsibilities entrusted to them.
