With a deep sense of gratitude for the continued trust and confidence that our partners and stakeholders place in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and its mandate to drive sustainable development in the Niger Delta, I had the honour of addressing the 2026 NDDC Partners for Sustainable Development (PSD) Forum on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the Obi Wali Conference Centre in Port Harcourt.
The theme of this year’s conference, “Synergy for Transformation,” could not have been more fitting. At the heart of the Partners for Sustainable Development platform is the need to bridge the gap between the Commission and the broad spectrum of stakeholders whose cooperation, participation and shared ownership are critical to ensuring that our interventions go beyond commissioning to deliver lasting value to the people.
The PSD Conference is therefore more than a stakeholder engagement forum. It is a platform through which the Commission steps beyond its institutional walls to engage its partners openly and in good faith, build trust, deepen collaboration and foster a shared understanding of what is required to achieve sustainable development in the Niger Delta.
In my address, I emphasised that stakeholder engagement is one of the cardinal principles of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Sustainable development cannot be achieved by government acting alone. It requires the confidence, participation and shared ownership of communities, state governments, development partners, the private sector, traditional institutions, civil society and other critical stakeholders.
While it is important to build trust with our partners and secure their confidence and buy-in, the NDDC recognises that trust must be backed by strong institutions, transparent processes and accountability.
This is why the Commission has continued to establish and strengthen processes that promote a new institutional culture anchored on sound ethics, transparency, accountability and good corporate governance.
Our objective is not simply to deliver projects, but to build enduring partnerships, systems and institutions that will ensure the impact of our interventions continues long after the projects have been commissioned.
The NDDC remains committed to working with all stakeholders to transform the Niger Delta through greater synergy, responsible governance and sustainable development.
