The Nigerian Government has reiterated its commitment to addressing the Challenges in the Niger Delta region.
The Minister of State for Niger Delta, Omotayo Alasoadura, Omotayo Alasoadura stated this while welcoming participants to the pre-council seminar of the 4th National Council on Niger Delta with the Theme: Achieving Uncommon Development in the Niger Delta region; Road Map and Strategy in Port Harcourt Nigeria.
Senator Alasoadura noted that the National Council on Niger Delta was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as a forum to seek the buy-in and participatory approach of stakeholders towards achieving the mandate of the Ministry which main responsibility is to manage and coordinate, promote and initiate development policies as well as processes in the Niger Delta.
The Minister of State also explained that ”the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs which was created as a direct response to the series of agitations by the people of the region, is presently executing several intervention projects designed to improve the deplorable state of the region.”
Emphasising on the theme of the Council, the Minister said; “the meeting is one of the strategies adopted by the Ministry to further deepen our engagement with Government Agencies and Stakeholders to promote the general well-being of the industrious and hospitable people of the Niger Delta”.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Baboyo Ardo said that the Technical papers earmarked for discussion during the Pre-Council Session were carefully selected in line with the Ministry’s focal areas of interventions and the sub-themes meant to address and identified challenges of the region.
Some of the papers presented during the seminar includes; ‘Establishment of Environmental Early Warning System for Niger Delta Region; Roadmap Strategy Towards Uncommon Agricultural Development in the Niger Delta Region; Roadmap to Opening up the Niger Delta Region for Uncommon Socio-Economic Development;
Others were; Housing and Urban Settlement Development; The Catalyst for Revitalisation of the Economic Base of the Niger Delta Region; Coordinating Development Planning and Implementation in the Niger Delta Region, The issues, the Challenges and the Methodologies; Harmonisation of the Niger Delta Regional Development Master plan and Niger Delta Action into a Single Regional Development Strategy.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
