The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) seems determined to take development projects even to unexpected corners of the oil region. From its headquarters in Port Harcourt, the interventionist agency is seen to stretch its resources to towns, communities, and educational institutions around the nine Niger Delta states.
The latest entity that just benefited from this is Edo State. It was thus like a carnival at the serene campus of the Edo State Polytechnic in Usen, Ovia South-West Local Government Area of the state. The visibly satisfied polytechnic students were bubbling with excitement as their Governor, fondly referred to as ‘Akpako Rescuer’, visited their campus alongside the leadership of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to unveil new roads for them.
The cause of jubilation was the commissioning of almost 4.6km internal roads built by the NDDC, breaking a 23-year jinx of living in a deplorable environment. As aptly captured by Victor Antai, the NDDC executive director of Projects, the Commission has come on a rescue mission.
For lack of roads in over two decades, students and staff were said to have battled dust and mud to access classrooms. “Today, NDDC is manifesting its establishment as an interventionist agency in this institution of higher learning in Edo State.”
The project includes 205 dual-carriageway main entrance gates. Beyond laying asphalt, the underlying environmental challenges were addressed by constructing 4.205km of reinforced concrete drainage channels, alongside a 32-metre by 900-millimetre reinforced concrete ring culvert, effectively curbing the persistent erosion that had long threatened this terrain.
Antai commended Gov Okpegholo for his administration’s synergy with the NDDC that brings huge dividents.
Like the students, the Edo State Governor beamed with smiles as he announced more amenities for the Polytechnic. He declared, “By investing in the Polytechnic, the NDDC has invested in the future of our children. This intervention is a practical demonstration of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.”
Gov Okpebholo commended the NDDC for its commitment to developing the Niger Delta region and urged it to continue partnering with state governments to execute more infrastructure projects.
In his speech, Abubakar Momoh, the Minister of Regional Development, commended the NDDC for responding appropriately to the directives of President Bola Tinubu’s charge to deliver impactful projects in the Niger Delta region and for new collaboration with state governments.
In his remarks, Chiedu Ebie, the NDDC board chairman, stated that the Commission was determined to partner with the governors for sustainable development.
In his key speech, Samuel Agbuku, NDDC managing director, restated the Commission’s commitment to the mandate given by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to change the narrative in Nigeria’s oil-producing region.
Ogbuku said the unmistakable fact about the situation at the Polytechnic was that it endured many years of neglect. Not a single metre of tarred road served this academic community in over 40 years. He said this was unacceptable.
Ogbuku reassured that the Commission is willing to go into a wide range of partnerships with the Edo state government on the provision of socio-economic infrastructure that brings additional value to the people of the state.
He declared, “We will continue to celebrate the dividends of NDDC’s Renewed Hope Agenda. In alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, I am proud that the NDDC, in strong collaboration with the Edo State Government, has decisively changed the narrative in the Niger Delta.”
Ogbuku said the project was about restoring dignity to a learning environment, and about providing safe, accessible pathways that now seamlessly connect administrative blocks, lecture halls, and hostels.
“Today, we have done more than construct roads—we have restored confidence, strengthened access to education, and reinforced hope for the people of the Niger Delta.
The NDDC boss likened the transformation at the Polytechnic to past miracles, when people thought certain things were impossible. “I believe people from this community, staff and students of this institution, actually believed it was impossible for them to have a good network of roads. But what you’re seeing today is part of the dividends of Mr President’s renewed hope,” he said.
According to Ogbuku, “Mr President gave us strict instructions to take development to the nooks and crannies of the Niger Delta, not leaving any institution behind.
“Today, the NDDC is positively affecting the lives of the people of the Niger Delta. In the educational, health, rural development, and other infrastructure sectors.
“What we are celebrating today was an idea and a vision of previous administrations. But today, this administration has made it a reality. I want to say thank you to Mr President for making this possible.”
The Managing Director the Governor for consistently collaborating with the NDDC to execute development projects that touch the lives of the people in remote communities and institutions.
“For us in NDDC, we have always pledged to partner with state governments because when we do, projects move faster and we achieve more. NDDC is not a government. This is an interventionist agency that complements the state government’s efforts.”
He announced that the NDDC was willing to partner with the Edo State Government to address erosion issues that had ravaged the state’s communities. “We have started work on a section of the erosion in Auchi, and NDDC has mobilised the contractor to begin work to fix the erosion in the Auchi area in Edo State,” Ogbuku stated.
In his goodwill message, Asuquo Ekpeyong, the chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC, pledged Senate Committee’s continued support to ensure diligent oversight of the Commission’s activities.
