NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku (standing), speaking at the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. First left is the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, while the NDDC Director, Legal Services, Mr. Victor Arenyeka is on the right.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has called for increased investment in agriculture and other sustainable sectors as part of efforts to diversify the economy of the oil-producing region and secure its future beyond crude oil.
The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, made the call while speaking on resource control at the Nigeria Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Ogbuku said although oil had contributed significantly to Nigeria’s development, the Niger Delta could not continue to depend on petroleum resources indefinitely.
In a press statement signed by Seledi Thomspon-Wakama
Director, Corporate Affairs of the NDDC, Ogbuku challenged stakeholders to begin addressing fundamental questions about the region’s future, particularly by identifying areas where Niger Deltans could exercise greater control over their resources and economic destiny.
“Data remains a critical component of resource control. Without accurate information on what the Niger Delta produces, it would be difficult to determine what it is entitled to receive.
“If we do not control the data, we do not know what we produce; we do not know what is to come to us. We need to put the future into our own hands,” he said.
The NDDC managing director identified agriculture as one of the sectors within the region’s control, saying greater investment in the sector would strengthen food security, create jobs and provide sustainable livelihoods for women and young people.
The session also examined environmental remediation in the Niger Delta, with panellists raising questions about the criteria for determining areas and communities to be remediated, as well as mechanisms for independently verifying the effectiveness of remediation projects.
Speaking on the Commission’s institutional reforms, a member of the NDDC legal team, Paul Emerhana, said the agency had begun a deliberate transition from “transaction to transformation”, anchored on institutional reforms, digitalisation and sustainable development.
Emerhana cited the Commission’s solar street-lighting projects as an example of interventions designed to deliver environmental, social and developmental benefits.
According to him, the projects have reduced dependence on conventional energy sources while improving security in beneficiary communities.
He also highlighted the Commission’s digital transformation, particularly the automation of its contract management processes, describing the NDDC as the first agency to fully automate its contract processes.
He said the digitalisation drive had extended to youth development, with the Commission providing training in artificial intelligence and other digital skills for young people across the Niger Delta.
“The Commission is investing in youths because they represent the region’s future; equipping them with relevant digital skills would improve their ability to participate in the emerging digital economy,” he said.
Emerhana also disclosed that the NDDC had established a Corporate Governance Department to strengthen governance, accountability and the sustainability of its operations.
He stressed the importance of adopting Environmental, Social and Governance principles to ensure that NDDC projects delivered lasting value to host communities beyond the completion of construction works.
The conference featured awards to the NDDC Board Chairman, Mr Chiedu Ebie, and Ogbuku in recognition of the Commission’s contributions to the development of the Niger Delta region.