Business
NDBDA Targets Manpower Dev, Greater Efficiency
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Basic Development Authority (NDBDA), Chief Mattew Aleru, has said that the company has spelt out modalities targeted at encouraging manpower development and improving general work conditions within the authority.
He said this in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.
Aleru also decried the poor supervision of some projects carried out by its contractors, stressing that the authority is only interested in quality job creation.
He said the modality will address the issue of lateness, and poor attitude to work and other issues that may take the agency to the next level.
According to him, all efforts must be geared towards changing the place for better in agreement with Mr President’s directive, saying that the public must justify their performance with the available resources provided for them.
The NDBDA boss, who spoke recently on his return trip from Abuja where he participated in a talk on “Initiative funding of water projects in Nigeria”, said partnership and cooperation with the public will also bring about growth in the company.
He cited its agricultural and water projects as good examples of partnership projects especially with host communities, while saying that all its projects sites out to be monitored by concerned authorities as well as host communities.
He explained that all commissioned projects need regular maintenance, which is no longer the sole duty of the authority.
The Tide gathered that the new wave of change in the authority may send some unserious staff home, and also result in termination of agreements with non-performing contractors.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.