Participants in a partnership development workshop, yesterday, identified bureaucratic bottleneck, lack of modern technology, lax security and insufficient political will as factors militating against institutionalised development.

They also observed that corruption, policy inconsistency, and weak workforce were major hindrances to development.

The one-day workshop organised by Rivers State Partners for Sustainable Development (RSPSD) acknowledged that unless the Organised Private Sector, the Business Groups, International Agencies, Communities, Civil Societies and Non-Governmental Organisations consciously partner and leverage on its benefits, development may remain a mirage.

It blamed these organisations for weaknesses that negate partnership and development such as inter-sectoral communication gap, poor policy implementation, unhealthy competition, inappropriate budget allocation and faculty framework, among others.

The workshop with the theme, “Partnering For The Sustainable Development Of Rivers State, noted that sustainable development of Rivers State required the co-ordinated efforts of development actors.

Like in other Niger Delta States, Rivers State is faced with various socio-economic, infrastructural and environmental problems, which, it said, can be addressed through effective collaboration of relevant stakeholders.

The workshop condemned the absence of public-private collaboration in development, lack of needs assessment to guide interventions, no standard or benchmark in infrastructure design and development, poor interface and absence of a platform for development actors in the state.

According to chairman of the occasion, Prof Nimi Briggs, it was for this yawning gap in development that the state government set up the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), which for urgent need of a platform partnered with other development actors to establish the Rivers State Partners for Sustainable Development (RSPSD).

RSPSD’s Head of Secretariat, Mr Dienye Pepple, listed its objectives as, to serve as data bank for all development activities in the state, to disseminate information to partners and potential partners, facilitate consultations and exchanges, and leverage development funds from donor agencies.

He said that through the RSPSD members could benefit from the resources and knowledge of others, synergise in development initiatives and leverage in various networking opportunities.

Also through it, development in the state could be better co-ordinated and business environment secure and peaceful, he stated.

Valentine Ugboma