Urges communities to protect development projects

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has called on communities across the Niger Delta to take ownership of development projects in their areas and protect them from vandalism and neglect.

The call was made during a one-day stakeholder engagement and capacity-building programme organised by the Commission’s Corporate Affairs Directorate in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State.

The event, themed “Capacity Building Engagement: Community Ownership and Protection of NDDC Projects for Niger Delta Stakeholders,” aimed to deepen awareness, encourage shared responsibility, and promote a culture of community ownership to ensure that projects executed by the Commission are protected, maintained, and optimally utilised for present and future generations.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director, Corporate Services of the Commission, Ifedayo Abegunde, urged communities in the Niger Delta to safeguard critical infrastructure provided by the Commission in order to prevent vandalism and ensure sustainability.

Abegunde noted that for more than two decades, the NDDC has remained committed to its mandate of promoting sustainable development in the region through the provision of critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools, health facilities, water schemes, solar streetlights, as well as youth empowerment and capacity-building initiatives.

According to him, the Commission has consistently implemented intervention projects aimed at addressing socio-economic and environmental challenges confronting oil-producing communities, describing the projects as long-term investments designed to expand opportunities, reduce poverty, stimulate local economies, and promote peace and stability in the region.

He, however, lamented that vandalism, theft, neglect, and inadequate community engagement have, in some instances, undermined valuable assets meant to improve the well-being of the people.

“These setbacks not only delay progress but also reduce the benefits of resources committed for the development of our communities,” he said.

Abegunde explained that the stakeholder engagement was convened to bring together traditional rulers, religious leaders, Community Development Associations (CDAs), youth and women groups, security actors, government agencies, civil society organisations, and non-governmental organisations to strengthen collaboration in protecting development assets.

“Infrastructure alone does not guarantee development. The true measure of impact lies in sustainability. Our objective is to encourage shared responsibility and promote a culture of ownership that ensures every completed project is protected,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to safeguarding public infrastructure, adding that solar streetlights, roads, classrooms, health facilities, and empowerment initiatives should be valued and protected as collective community assets.

Also speaking, the NDDC State Director in Akwa Ibom, Evong Moduck Evong, called on communities to take greater responsibility for projects executed in their areas, stressing that the sustainability of development initiatives largely depends on the commitment of host communities.

Evong assured stakeholders that the Commission, under the leadership of its Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, remains committed to deepening development impact across the Niger Delta.

“The current management of the NDDC is firmly committed to moving the Commission from transaction to transformation,” he said.

Responding to concerns raised by participants that some NDDC projects do not reflect community priorities, the State Director clarified that project selection is guided by community needs assessments and stakeholder inputs.

He explained that communities regularly submit requests for projects, which are reviewed alongside needs assessments before being incorporated into the Commission’s budget and forwarded to the National Assembly of Nigeria for approval.

“Our office receives numerous letters from communities requesting projects. These inputs, together with needs assessments, guide the budgeting process before submission to the National Assembly,” he said.

Addressing another concern that NDDC does not award contracts to local contractors or engage local labour, Evong described the claim as a misconception.

“Most contractors handling NDDC projects are from the Niger Delta region, and they are required to engage local artisans and labour, except where the required technical skills are not available within the community,” he explained.

He further noted that every NDDC project begins with a formal site handover ceremony, during which contractors are introduced to community leaders and stakeholders and the scope of work clearly outlined.

Evong urged community stakeholders to avoid spreading misinformation about the Commission’s project management processes and instead work collaboratively with the NDDC to safeguard development assets.

“When communities protect and take ownership of these projects, they ensure that the benefits of development are sustained for present and future generations,” he added.

In a presentation at the event, Carol Bichene Ebuta revealed that about 13,000 out of 19,421 projects executed by the NDDC across the Niger Delta have been vandalised or stolen.

Also speaking, the Village Head of Atan Offot and Vice Chairman of the Offot Ukwa Traditional Rulers Council in Uyo Local Government Area, Idongesit A. Ekong, alongside the Senior Special Assistant to the Akwa Ibom State Governor on NDDC matters, Samuel Ekah, commended the Commission for organising the stakeholder engagement.

They said the initiative would help promote a culture of collective ownership of development projects among communities and other stakeholders across the Niger Delta.