Major stakeholders of the Niger Delta region and captains of industry in the private sector have gathered at the behest of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) for a public-private partnership (PPP) summit to explore ways of driving sustainable development in Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
A programme released by the NDDC 2023 PPP Summit Committee, states that the event which will take place at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, will lay the foundation for “building a sustainable future through Public Private Partnership for progress in the Niger Delta.”
The summit with the theme, “Rewind to Rebirth” which will feature presentations and discussions by experts and top government officials, has the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Simbi Wabote, as the keynote speaker.
Another major presentation will come from the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, who will give an overview of the Commission’s achievements and challenges.
According to the Chairman of the Summit Committee, Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua,
the meeting of stakeholders and experts “seeks to create opportunities for both local and foreign investors, captains of industries, and the corporate world to partner with the NDDC in building a brighter future for the Niger Delta region.
He described the summit as a game-changing partnership initiative that would enable stakeholders explore opportunities for collaboration that would bring sustainable development to the Niger Delta region.
Audu-Ohwavborua noted that for the NDDC to effectively drive sustainable development in the region, it was necessary to adopt the PPP model to help the Commission to generate funds outside the already established channels.
“The PPP summit is part of NDDC’s strategy to reduce its reliance on International Oil Companies and the Federal Government to raise funds for development projects,” he said.
Providing more insight, the organising committee stated that the summit would set the stage for generating the necessary interest among private sector operators in the country and beyond to partner to close the infrastructural gaps in the Niger Delta region.
Recently, the NDDC inaugurated a PPP Committee to enable it to review all the Commission’s existing partnerships as well as explore new partnerships that would result in enduring regional projects.
The Committee was also expected to identify, pursue and secure alternative sources of funding for the Commission’s projects and programmes as well as draw up and adopt projects and programmes funding templates.
The 12- member Committee is jointly supervised by the NDDC Executive Director Finance and Administration, Maj-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd) and the Executive Director, Projects, Mr. Charles Ogunmola.
