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The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Saturday charged the Niger Delta Development Company (NDDC) to find lasting solutions to the region’s socio- economic challenges.
The former minister of finance made the call at an event marking the NDDC’s 25th anniversary in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
She urged the interventionist agency to give special attention to the economic development of the Niger Delta.
“Let me first congratulate the NDDC for the work it has carried out for the people of the Niger Delta,” Okonjo-Iweala said.
“If I’m a bit critical in my speech, you know me, I mean it for good, because I think you have done a lot, but you still have a lot to do.
“The NDDC was established in 2000 by former president Obasanjo, as a successor to UMPADEK, which had been in operation since the days of the Military government. This was in response to the cries of marginalisation and underdevelopment by the people of the Niger Delta, where Nigeria’s oil and gas resources are concentrated.
“Oil and gas exploration, by its nature, often poses challenges to its environment in the form of pollution of land and waters. Gas flaring is another hazard that the people in the environment have had to deal with.
“These challenges were backed up by the government with the setting up of the NDDC.
“You, the NDDC, cannot afford to fail.
“As you well know, the oil and gas accounts for 90 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange, and 70 per cent of its fiscal revenue, which is why it is regarded as the lifeblood of the economy. The people of the region must be carried along so that they can feel their concerns are being addressed.
“The goose that lays the golden egg deserves attention in the form of infrastructure and social services to ensure that there is peace in the area, so it can continue to contribute optimally to the economy of the country.”
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