The arrival of Dr Samuel Ogbuku at the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, on January 5, 2023, to assume office as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer marked a historic turning point.
Ogbuku has the rare privilege of being appointed by two Presidents as NDDC Managing Director. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him MD/CEO on November 23, 2022, and the board was inaugurated on January 4, 2023. He was again re-appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on August 29, 2023, for a fresh four-year tenure.
The rapid development of the Niger Delta region, which is the core mandate of the NDDC, got an impetus when the current Management, led by Ogbuku, mounted the saddle.
From day one, Ogbuku and his team were confronted with the daunting challenges of development in the Niger Delta region. However, the challenges spurred them to look for new ways of achieving results. That inexorably led to the Commission’s decision to begin to do things differently.
In charting a new course, the Commission had to use new strategies emphasising transparency and accountability.
The new trajectory takes into account the vision of the NDDC, which is to create an enabling environment for the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region. The Management is also guided by the Commission’s mission, which is: “to facilitate the sustainable, even and rapid development of the Niger Delta, into a region that is socially stable, politically peaceful, economically prosperous and ecologically regenerative.”
The paradigm shifts at the NDDC did not happen by chance. They came from the good leadership provided by Ogbuku and other members of the Executive Management.
The region’s people have been waiting for transformational development, and the Ogbuku-led Management provided the answers. What has happened so far shows that Ogbuku has become synonymous with transformative development. His vision is not just confined to administrative tasks; he’s on a mission to reshape the socio-economic landscape of Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
More than just a bureaucrat, Ogbuku is a son of the Niger Delta soil. His roots in the region’s struggle, his activism as a student union leader, and his role in the Ijaw Youths Council reflect his deep-seated commitment to the cause.
Before he was appointed the Managing Director of the NDDC, he held several positions in both the private and public sectors. His expertise and experience across diverse human endeavours span over two decades, and he has demonstrated a great zeal to affect the lives of his people in the region positively.
His vast experience has positioned him as a respected voice in the national discourse on regional development, energy, security and environmental sustainability.
The thoroughbred administrator continues to advocate for policies that balance the need for economic growth with the imperative of protecting the Niger Delta’s unique ecological landscape.
In his forays at the NDDC, he has focused on addressing long-standing infrastructural deficits in the Niger Delta region and building a solid institution, empowering communities and promoting sustainable development across the region.
His leadership style is inclusive, transparent, and accountable. He emphasizes collaborative efforts that unite stakeholders, government agencies, and private sector partners to achieve shared goals.
Ogbuku is utilizing his vast intellectual resources to strengthen the NDDC and operationalize the NDDC Acts as amended, and his approach is fundamentally different from that of his predecessors.
He has initiated and launched several transformative projects that have brought remarkable improvement across various communities in the region. Since governance is a continuum, the Managing Director has also improved upon the existing projects and undertaken new ones.
The Ogbuku administration’s collaborative approach to development yielded good results, as can be seen from the recent commissioning of five flagship projects within 10 days.
Between May 18 and May 28, 2024, the NDDC commissioned five impactful projects in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo and Ondo states, covering roads, bridges and electricity projects.
The projects are as follows: The 9km Obehie-Oke-Ikpe road in Ukwa West LGA, Abia State; the 25.7 kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa State; the 1×15MVA 33/11KV electricity injection substation in Amufi, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area in Benin City, Edo State; the 45km double-circuit 33KV feeder line from Omotosho Power Station to Okitipupa, Ondo State and the NDDC 6km Iko-Atabrikang-Akata-Opulom-Ikot Inwang-Okoroutip-Iwochang Road and 600m Ibeno Bridge in Ibeno LGA, Akwa Ibom State.
Notably, the signature Ogbia-Nembe Road has linked the ancient city of Nembe to Ogbia for the first time in living memory. Similarly, the Ibeno Bridge in Akwa Ibom State has linked 20 communities hitherto separated by the Qua Iboe River.
To enhance healthcare access, the Commission under him revived the impactful free healthcare programmes that provided 20,000 surgeries, attended to 45,000 patients, and distributed essential medical supplies to rural communities.
To Ogbuku’s credit, the NDDC Foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship Programme came alive again. The programme has benefitted 2,700 students. To further boost education, the NDDC rehabilitated many schools and distributed educational materials to foster learning and equip the younger generations with skills and knowledge to drive the region’s future.
Under Dr Ogbuku’s leadership, NDDC has provided over 7,000 solar-powered street lights across communities in the region, and he is extending the opportunity to other communities that have yet to be captured.
The Commission is also collaborating with cassava farmers to enhance productivity. It is also partnering with the ITF Skill-up Artisan Scheme for the Niger Delta Youths and showing great interest in the total well-being and improvement of the Niger Delta people and the diaspora.
Ogbuku’s deep knowledge and insight in conflict resolution, youth leadership development, and personnel management have shored up the Commission’s operations.
He has ensured that the Commission restructured its administrative system by returning to the 13 Directorates recognised in the NDDC Act.
Reorganising the administrative system expedited service delivery. Demonstrating its commitment to due process and transparency, the Commission introduced measures to build confidence and trust among all partners and stakeholders.
The management of NDDC under Ogbuku set up a system to establish a robust Corporate Governance structure that fosters accountability and transparency. This structure was complemented by developing clear and measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track progress towards set goals.
To ensure a solid institutional culture anchored on sound ethics and good corporate governance, KPMG, a reputable global business consultancy, was engaged to review and strengthen the Commission’s corporate governance system and improve its internal processes and institutional protocols.
Part of KPMG’s mandate is to produce an SOP for the NDDC that covers all aspects of the Commission’s activities and transactions. Apart from delivering on projects, the NDDC has transitioned from transaction to transformation.
The Commission has modified the NDDC Youth Volunteer Programme into a Youth Internship Programme. Ten thousand youths will be attached to organisations for one year to learn different skills while the Commission pays them N50,000 monthly stipends.
In addition to the internship programme, the Commission also gives more opportunities and hope to Niger Delta youths through a novel programme called the Holistic Opportunity Projects of Engagement (HOPE), meant to identify the interests of the youths for skills training.
As part of the efforts to renew and reposition the NDDC, management stepped up its collaboration with various stakeholders. This included engagement with the critical stakeholders in the oil industry, who contribute three per cent of their operational budget to the Commission, the state governments, traditional rulers, civil society groups, youth organisations, and contractors.
Ogbuku is indeed a consummate administrator who is loved by both the staff of the Commission and Niger Delta stakeholders. He is a pathfinder and visionary leader.
Today, the NDDC has sufficiently watered the grounds for public, private partnerships to flourish alongside contributions from stakeholders to bring about economic prosperity, as well as ensure social and political stability in the Niger Delta region.
The NDDC, with Ogbuku in the driver’s seat, is assuming its rightful position as a vehicle for the socio-economic development of Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
- Etim Williams is the Chief Press Secretary to the MD of NDDC from Port Harcourt.
