Niger Delta: Gov. Uzodimma Pushes Regional Synergy, Community Ownership of Projects
...Calls for End to 'Working in Silos' Among States
The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, has called for greater synergy among the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), states, local governments, and communities to accelerate sustainable development across the region.
Uzodimma made the call while delivering an address at the NDDC Partners for Sustainable Development Conference held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Chinyere Ekomaru, at the event, the governor warned that fragmented development efforts and duplication of projects could lead to the wastage of scarce resources.
He stressed the need for stakeholders in the region to plan, fund, and implement development projects together.
“Sanity means we plan together. We fund together. We build together,” he said.
Uzodimma noted that the Niger Delta was facing three major transitions — energy, environmental, and demographic — which, he said, required deliberate collaboration among stakeholders to address.
He noted that the region was experiencing the effects of the global shift towards green energy, environmental degradation, and depleted fisheries, while its youthful population was increasingly demanding jobs and inclusion.
The governor emphasised that regional development must align with local governance, saying the NDDC Regional Master Plan should be domesticated in state and local government development plans.
He also called for local governments to be empowered to co-own, monitor, and maintain development projects, while communities should contribute local knowledge and take ownership of projects.
On partnerships, Uzodimma pointed out that collaboration should go beyond the award of contracts to encompass the entire development ecosystem.
“Partnership should not end at awarding a contract for a classroom block,” he said, adding that it should extend to areas such as teacher training, provision of solar power for schools, connecting graduates to jobs, and ensuring community sustainability.
The governor also highlighted initiatives undertaken by his administration in Imo State, including the creation of Okobi, a model built around the concept of “one kindred, one business,” which he said was founded on the Igbo philosophy of strength in unity.
He disclosed that 65 kindred-owned businesses were awaiting registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Uzodimma further disclosed that Imo State had partnered with the NDDC through the FGN-NDDC Niger Delta Livelihood project to empower 1,403 rural youths and women with acquired skills.
He declared that the state had also paid its counterpart funding, noting that Imo had worked with the NDDC on projects and interventions, including the reclamation of abandoned roads, provision of streetlights, health outreaches, support for flood victims, and youth development initiatives.
“Imo State and NDDC have shown what synergy can achieve.”
The governor affirmed that Imo State was ready to align its development efforts with the NDDC and other stakeholders, pledging that the state would “co-plan, co-fund, and co-implement” projects.
He also revealed that the state was prepared to bring its 27 Local Government Areas and communities to the table in the development process.
Uzodimma called on the conference to produce a joint alignment framework that would institutionalise quarterly coordination among NDDC states, local governments, civil society actors, and communities.
He proposed that stakeholders should agree on between three and five priority projects in each state and track their implementation until they delivered measurable impact.
“The Niger Delta has waited long enough. Our people have been patient long enough. The time for working in silos is over. The time for synergy for transformation is now,” he added.
