ASABA/Nigeria: Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has urged for a strategic and collaborative approach between the Federal and Niger Delta states to address the challenges facing the oil-rich region and spur economic growth.
Speaking at the opening of the Technical Committee session of the 6th meeting of the National Council on Niger Delta in Government House, Asaba, the Governor represented by his Deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme emphasized the need for concerted efforts to tackle environmental, security, and infrastructural issues plaguing the region.
The meeting, themed “Stimulating Strategies For Economic Growth And Development In The Niger Delta Region,” highlighted the longstanding challenges in the area, including gas flaring, illegal oil bunkering, oil spillage, and the lack of infrastructure such as the East West road. Governor Oborevwori stressed the importance of collaboration between the Federal and Sub-national governments to address these issues and unlock the region’s economic potential.
Dr. Kingsley Emu, the Secretary to Delta State Government, highlighted the economic opportunities and challenges in the Niger Delta, including tourism, agriculture, crude oil deposits, and ICT. He also mentioned the coastal super-highways project, expected to link Lagos through the coastal states of the Niger Delta to Calabar, as a significant infrastructure development for the region.
Dr. Johnson Oseodion, Director of Public Private Partnership Research Development, emphasized the need for adopting the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to bridge the infrastructural investment gap in Nigeria, estimated at $3 trillion over the next thirty years. He highlighted sectors such as energy, transport, agriculture, ICT, water, and mining as areas where the PPP model could be applied.
The meeting, attended by representatives of the nine Niger Delta States, the NDDC, the Niger Delta Ministry, and other stakeholders, aims to provide a roadmap for peace, progress, and prosperity in the region, leveraging its rich human and natural resources. Governor Oborevwori expressed optimism that the Committee’s deliberations would lead to tangible strategies for the region’s development.
