Opinion
Kick-Starting The Mega Project
At last, the big-ticket projects that would change the fortunes of the long-suffering people of the Niger Delta region are beginning to leave the drawing board. Just last year, 45 mega projects worth about N180 billion rolled out of the “pipelines” to spread development across the region. Significantly, this has prepared the grounds for even bolder initiatives.
A few years back, the talk about a coastal road appeared utopian and distant. That is no longer the case as it has since left the realms of idealism. In fact, the design for the road, which is about 650 kilometres, is almost ready and the Federal Government is willing to pick up the bills.
According to Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Chibuzor Ugwoha, the coastal road, which will traverse the deltaic region, will soon be a reality. “NDDC has done the design of the coastal road running from Calabar to Lagos. Before the end of the year, the final design will be ready,” he said.
Without doubt, the NDDC would have loved to execute this lofty project if it had the necessary financial muscle. Unfortunately, it could not shoulder the enormous burden because of the limited funds available to it. In last year’s budget, for instance, it has only N240.5 billion to spend on both projects and overhead costs. Certainly, that will not scratch the surface for a mega road project estimated to cost about N1.8 trillion.
However, NDDC’s loss is the gain of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. Not that it matters though, since the common objective is the rapid development of the oil-rich region, using the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan as a compass. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Federal Government has transferred the responsibility for executing the project to the Niger Delta Ministry.
The Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo, offered a justification for this when he said: “The Federal Government, in its quest to complete all major projects in the Niger Delta, has directed that the coastal road construction be transferred to the Ministry of Niger Delta since the money needed for its construction is over N1trillion and is beyond the capability of the NDDC.”
In any case, the ministry was established to play such pivotal roles in the quest to actualise the government’s objective to fast track the development of the Niger Delta. It is expected to lead and co-ordinate the infrastructural and environmental development, as well as the youth empowerment programmes in the region.
The perennial violence in the region has made it imperative for the government to accord the Niger Delta a special treatment that goes beyond mere tokenism. It is no longer sufficient to hide under the cover of an interventionist agency that is underfunded. Obviously, the country needs to do what the United States of America did for Europe at the end of the Second World War using the Marshall Plan.The regional development master plan, accepted by all stakeholders as the way forward, provides the platform for the massive injection of funds to quickly transform the long-neglected region that produces the oil that sustains the nation. This widely acclaimed roadmap for the region would require trillions of naira to actualise.The master plan, which all agree is a worthy compass for the development of the region, needs to be adequately funded in order to translate the lofty plans into tangible projects and programmes.
There cannot be a better time than now to take concrete steps to accelerate the development of the Niger Delta region, to, at least, convince the indigenes about the commitment of the Federal Government to the socio-economic transformation of the nation’s honey pot. Visible development projects must now be embarked upon before the peace won through the amnesty programme is lost.
The Ledum Mittee-led Technical Committee on the Niger Delta did a thorough job, synthesising the reports and recommendations of previous committees. Sadly, the report is yet to be fully utilised. Moreover, the master plan facilitated by the NDDC is another document that should be seen more like a bible by the ministry.
Spearheading the implementation of the technical committee’s report and the master plan will be the best strategy for the ministry, which is intent on making an enduring impact in the shortest time possible. For this to happen, though, there must be a robust funding of the master plan, which is a product of elaborate and intensive collaborative efforts of various stakeholders in the Niger Delta. Although the NDDC facilitated its production, it was, indeed, a product of all the stakeholders who spent over four years jointly in putting it together.
Given the volatile nature of the oil-bearing communities, it is only wise that the government takes urgent measures to address their age-old grievances. Unlike in the past when communities were contented with freebies, the ministry should aggressively provide basic infrastructure and human capital development that can guarantee long-term benefits for the majority of the people of the region.
Good enough, the NDDC has set the ground rules, many of which have worked very well in bringing succour to the people. The ministry should do well to take a cue from the commission. In all, quick execution of tangible projects in the Niger Delta is the enduring solution to the lingering crises in the region. The ministry should, indeed, call the meeting of all the major stakeholders – the state and local governments, the oil companies, the NDDC and the international donor agencies – to agree on the specific roles each of them should play in the faithful implementation of the master plan with definite timeframe.
It is obvious that no meaningful economic progress can be made unless the crisis in the Niger-Delta is comprehensively addressed. The Goodluck Jonathan administration has a chance to make history by fast tracking the development of the region. With an established blueprint in its hands, the government has all it takes to succeed.
Undoing the damage wrought by decades of neglect and injustice requires partnership and synergy. The ministry and other relevant agencies should serve as rallying points for harnessing the energies and ideas needed for the comprehensive development of the region.
Virtually all the stakeholders agree that there is high level of poverty and underdevelopment in the Niger Delta. To give effect to the urgent task of transforming the region, several strategies and options should be adopted. In all, however, funding remains the most critical factor. Even now, the Federal Government is yet to release a balance of N500million owed the NDDC. One can only hope that the funding situation will improve henceforth.
Apart from the critical issue of funding, it is also important that all stakeholders collaborate to lift the region from the abyss of underdevelopment. It is, ostensibly, in response to this need that the NDDC set up a clearinghouse called the Partners for Sustainable Development (PSD) Forum. This important organ brings together representatives of federal and state governments of oil-bearing states, youths and women leaders, traditional rulers as well as the organised private sector, civil society, the mass media and international development agencies such as the UNDP and the World Bank. Their main function is to ensure that the developmental activities in the Niger Delta by all stakeholders are synchronised. This important organ should be more alive to its responsibility and the ministry will do itself a lot of good by making use of the forum.
All the stakeholders are agreed that what the region needs is rapid and holistic development that will banish the era of militancy. A coordinated approach and a faithful implementation of the master plan will ensure a faster delivery on projects that would make profound impact on the lives of the people. The nation cannot afford a resurgence of armed conflicts in the Niger Delta.
Agbu, a seasoned journalist, writes from Port Harcourt.
Opinion
Man and Lessons from the Lion
Opinion
Marked-Up Textbooks:A Growing Emergency
Opinion
Humanity and Sun Worship

-
Maritime2 days ago
Minister Tasks Academy On Thorough-Bred Professionals
-
Maritime2 days ago
Customs Cautions On Delayed Clearance, Says Consignees May Lose Cargo
-
Maritime2 days ago
NCS Sensitises Stakeholders On Automated Overtime Cargo Clearance System
-
Maritime2 days ago
Lagos Ready For International Boat Race–LASWA
-
Maritime2 days ago
Shoprite Nigeria Gets New Funding to Boost Growth, Retail Turnaround
-
Politics2 days ago
I Would Have Gotten Third Term If I Wanted – Obasanjo
-
Sports2 days ago
Bournemouth, Newcastle Share Points
-
Sports2 days ago
Iwobi Stars As Fulham Overcome Brentford