The Government of Rivers State has urged development partners to broaden their interventions in the Niger Delta by giving equal priority to innovation hubs, industrial clusters, digital centres, and skills acquisition programmes, alongside physical infrastructure projects.
Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Ibok-Ete Ibasare appealed while receiving the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Port Harcourt.
The minister was accompanied by senior officials from the ministry and NDDC board members.
Vice Admiral Ibas emphasised the need for a holistic approach to development in the Niger Delta, stating that meaningful progress must go beyond roads and bridges to include economic empowerment and human capital development.
“Infrastructure remains a major need, but so is social investment, human capital development, and economic inclusion. A bridge that doesn’t lead to opportunities is a bridge half built,” the administrator declared.
He stressed that the Niger Delta, endowed with vast natural and human resources, must adopt development models that stimulate regional and national economic growth.
“We must focus on innovation hubs, industrial clusters, agro-processing zones, digital infrastructure, skill acquisition centres, and youth enterprise development programs,” Vice Admiral Ibas urged.
Commendation for NDDC’s Partnership
The Administrator praised the NDDC for its longstanding collaboration with Rivers State, citing key projects such as:
The ongoing Kaa-Taaba Bridge in Ogoni Land and the Borikiri Ring Road in Okrika are described as “economic arteries” that connect communities and transform lives.
Vice Admiral Ibas commended the minister’s visit as a positive step toward aligning federal and state development goals. He called for deeper collaboration between:
The Federal Ministry of Regional Development
The NDDC
The newly established South-South Commission
The Rivers State Government.
“We must remove bottlenecks, identify real needs, and ensure impact is felt where it matters most,” he concluded.
In his remarks, Engr. Momoh explained that his visit was part of a nationwide assessment tour to evaluate ongoing and abandoned NDDC projects, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to complete all such initiatives in the region.
The minister lauded Vice Admiral Ibas for fostering peace and stability in Rivers State, which he noted has attracted investments and revitalised commercial activities.
The meeting reinforced the commitment of both federal and state stakeholders to accelerate sustainable development in the Niger Delta through infrastructure, innovation, and economic empowerment.