Business

N’Delta Development, My Priority -NDDC Boss

Published

16 years ago

August 14, 2009

The managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr Chibuzor Ogwuoha has said that the Niger Delta region is in dire need of development and that he was poised to institute structures to positively change in the peoples standard of living.
This was the pledge made by the new NDDC Managing Director at a reception organised in his honour by the Senator representing Rivers west Senatorial district, Senator Wilson Asinobiake at his Apo Legislative quarters’ residence over the weekend in Abuja.
President Yar’Adua inaugurated the NDDC Board at the Presidential Villa, Abuja last Friday, with AirVice Marshall Larry Konya (Rtd) as Chairman and Mr. Ogwuoha as Managing Director.
Konya, from Bayelsa State was a former Chairman of the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) under the defunct General Ibrahim Babangida regime while Ogwuoha who hails from Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers was the Community Relations Manager of ELF.
Speaking at the colourful and well-attended reception, Mr. Ogwuoha said his emergence as the Managing Director of NDDC was the handwork of God and ‘not by might, not by power, not by money; while pledging to emulate Jesus Christ in his administration of the Commission.
According to him, “I can draw inspiration from Jesus Christ who washed the disciples’ feet and say leaders should do likewise”, knowing that the task before him is not an easy one.
He called on the people of the Niger-Delta to support him and his team in executing the task before them, noting that it is not his responsibility alone but that of the entire people of the oil rich region.
“If a Leader is leading and the people are not going along with him, he would not achieve much (but) if all of us agree to move, even the greatest mountains, we will pull down”, he said.
Ogwuoha who believes that there can’t be meaningful development in the region in the absence of peace gave the people of the region a charge on the need to keep the peace so that development could thrive in the next four years of his administration of NDDC.
His words: “I believe that all hands (in the region) must be on deck. We must be able to go back to our communities and tell them (that) where there’s no peace, there can’t be development. You need to buy into the programme of development, then what you’re expecting, you will get more than that”.
Noting that Niger Delta is not the worst place on earth, the new NDDC boss recalled that in the past the region recorded giant strides in food production and was self-sufficient, tasked the region to return to agriculture and feed the people as well as emerge as the nation’s food basket, adding, it was known in the past.
“I know it’s going to be an Herculean task, it’s going to be very difficult but one thing is obvious, if all of us agree to do it together, we will get there”, he said.
He continued “I believe very strongly that the Niger Delta of the past fed our people and that Niger Delta shall feed our people again. We are blessed, we can still make Niger Delta the food basket. Let us all begin to think on how to begin to add value to what we have”.
Ogwuoha challenged prominent sons and daughters of Niger Delta, particularly those from Rivers State and Ogbaland in particular to establish factories that could produce things like pure water, tissue and paper in their localities to engender development since “we cannot all be in oil companies”.
The Managing Director further thanked all those who contributed in no small way in making his new status possible, especially Senator Ake, recalling that “the journey was not an easy one, those who are at the corridor of power know all they went through
… if it is money, I will not be standing before you as the Managing Director of NDDC, I know some people who spent money to get this position but they didn’t succeed”.
“It’s time for us to move forward. With your support, we know we’ll get there. It’s not Chibuzor Ogwuoha that is there, (as NDDC MD) all of us are there. I believe with your commitment, there will be development in Niger Delta and Nigeria .. You’ll help me to succeed,” he emphasised.

Business

FG Approves ?758bn Bonds To Clear Pension Backlogs, Says PenCom

Published

17 hours ago

November 3, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Government has approved ?758b in bonds to offset long-standing pension liabilities, including pension increases owed since 2007.

The Director-General, National Pension Commission, Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this at a two-day Sensitisation Workshop on the workings of the Contributory Pension Scheme for Employees and Pensioners in the North-East, in partnership with the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission (NSIWC), and held in Yola, last Thursday.

Represented by the Commissioner for Administration in PenCom, Alhaji Bello Abubakar, Oloworaran described the approval as a bold step by President Bola Tinubu to bring relief to vulnerable pensioners and restore confidence in the pension system.

She said the workshop formed part of ongoing reforms to enhance awareness and deepen understanding of the CPS among retirees and other stakeholders.

According to her, other key interventions under the reforms included pension increases for over 241,000 retirees, representing 80 per cent of those under the programmed withdrawal arrangement.

“The increases raised monthly payments from ?12.15 billion to ?14.83 billion, effective from June 2025.

“The commission has also eliminated waiting time for pension payments, ensuring that, since July 2025, retirees now access their benefits immediately after retirement.

“The proposed reintroduction of gratuity for civil servants, with a framework developed to restore gratuity benefits for federal workers under CPS, in line with Section 4(4) of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014,” she said.

The PenCom DG explained that the initiative was aimed at further enhancing post-retirement benefits and improving the welfare of pensioners.

Oloworaran stressed that the sensitisation workshop would help address misconceptions and build public confidence in the CPS while offering an opportunity for engagement, feedback, and trust-building with stakeholders.

Also speaking, the Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, represented by the Deputy Director of Compensation, Chika Ochor, said the workshop would promote better understanding of the CPS and its benefits.

Nta insisted that pension provides financial security in old age, enabling retirees to maintain their standard of living, reduce poverty, and avoid dependence on families and government adding that the current administration had introduced far-reaching reforms in pension administration to ensure prompt and sustainable payment of retirees’ benefits.

In his remarks, the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, commended PenCom and NSIWC for their collaboration in bridging knowledge gaps on the CPS and online enrolment processes.

He reaffirmed NOA’s commitment to promoting national values, policy awareness, security consciousness, and disaster preparedness.

Business

Banks Must Back Innovation, Not Just Big Corporates — Edun

Published

17 hours ago

November 3, 2025

The Tide

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has called on Nigerian banks to channel more credit to young innovators and small businesses, saying the era of concentrating lending on big corporates must give way to inclusive, innovation-driven financing.

Edun made the call while speaking at the 2025 Fellowship Investiture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, where he reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to sustaining ongoing reforms and expanding access to finance as key drivers of economic growth beyond four per cent.

Edun emphasised that while the reforms under President Bola Tinubu have begun to yield tangible progress since May 2023, inclusive growth remains critical to sustaining the recovery.

“We all know that monetary policy under Cardoso has stabilised the financial system in a most commendable way. Of course, it is a team effort, and those eye-watering interest rates have to be paid by the fiscal side. But the fight against inflation is one we all have to participate in,” he said.

The minister stressed the need for banks to broaden credit access and finance innovation-driven enterprises that can create jobs for young Nigerians.

“The finance and banking industry has more work to do because we must finance their ideas, deepen the capital and credit markets down to SMEs. They should not have to go to Silicon Valley,” he said.

The minister who described the private sector as the engine of growth, said the government’s reform agenda aims to create an enabling environment where businesses can thrive, access funding, and contribute meaningfully to job creation.

He commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for maintaining monetary discipline under its current leadership, describing the tight policy stance as a necessary step to curb inflation, stabilise the financial system, and restore investor confidence.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Committee of Bank CEOs and Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba, commended the CBN and the Federal Ministry of Finance for their coordinated policies that have eased pressure on the foreign exchange market and restored investor confidence.

“We thank the Minister of Finance and the CBN Governor. We have seen the difference. A year ago, customers were asking for dollars; today, we are asking them if they need any. Thanks to the efforts of the coordinated economic team,” Alawuba said.

He urged newly inducted Fellows and Senior Members of the Institute to champion digital transformation, strengthen trust, and promote collaboration within the banking industry.

Business

FG Seeks Fresh $1b World Bank loan To Boost Jobs, Investment

Published

17 hours ago

November 3, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Government has begun discussions with the World Bank for a new $1 billion loan under a programme designed to accelerate private investment, job creation, and economic diversification.

The facility, known as the Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration (P512892), is a Development Policy Financing (DPF) operation scheduled for World Bank Board consideration on December 16, 2025.

According to the Bank’s concept note , the financing would comprise $500m in International Development Association (IDA) credit and $500m in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan.

If approved, it would be the second-largest single loan Nigeria has received from the World Bank under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, following the $1.5 billion facility granted in June 2024 under the Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation (RESET) initiative.

The World Bank said the new programme aims to support Nigeria’s shift from short-term macroeconomic stabilisation to sustainable, private sector–led growth.

The loan would back reforms intended to expand access to credit and digital financial services, lower prices for households and firms, and boost productivity in key agricultural value chains.

“The proposed Development Policy Financing (DPF) supports Nigeria’s pivot from stabilization to inclusive growth and job creation. Structured as a two-tranche standalone operation of US$1.0 billion (US$500 million IDA credit and US$500 million IBRD loan), it seeks to catalyse private sector–led investment by expanding access to credit, deepening capital markets and digital services, easing inflationary pressures, and promoting export diversification,” the document read.

The document further stated that Nigeria’s private sector credit-to-GDP ratio stood at only 21.3 per cent in 2024, significantly below that of emerging-market peers, while capital markets remain shallow, with sovereign securities dominating the bond market.

To address these weaknesses, the DPF will support the implementation of the Investment and Securities Act 2025, operationalisation of credit-enhancement facilities, and introduction of a comprehensive Central Bank of Nigeria rulebook to strengthen risk-based regulation and consumer protection.

The operation also includes measures to deepen digital inclusion through the passage of the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2025, which will establish a legal framework for electronic transactions, authentication services, and digital records.

Beyond the financial and digital sectors, the programme targets reforms to lower production and living costs by tackling Nigeria’s restrictive trade regime. High tariffs and import bans have long driven up consumer prices and constrained competitiveness, particularly for manufacturers and farmers.

Under the proposed reforms, Nigeria would adopt AfCFTA tariff concessions, rationalise import restrictions, and simplify agricultural seed certification to increase the supply of high-quality varieties for maize, rice, and soybeans. The World Bank projects that these measures will help reduce food inflation, attract private investment, and enhance export potential.

The operation is part of a broader World Bank FY26 package that includes three complementary projects—Fostering Inclusive Finance for MSMEs (FINCLUDE), Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE), and Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth (AGROW)—all focused on expanding access to finance, strengthening institutions, and mobilising private capital.