8 Functions of Niger Delta Development Commission bring to your knowledge the functions of NDDC. We hope you find it beneficial.
Niger Delta Development Commission
Read Also: Functions of the National Pensions Commission
The Niger Delta Development Commission is an Agency owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria and was established by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000 with the sole mandate of developing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
The mission of the commission is to ensure a rapid, even, stable and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically stable, socially, buoyant, and ecologically regenerative while being politically peaceful.
Read Also: Functions of the Central Bank of Nigeria
Functions of the Niger Delta Development Commission
The Niger Delta Development Commission was set aside by the federal government to look into issues of serious concern as it affects the Niger Delta region of the country.
Functions of the Niger Delta Development Commission include:
1. Conflict Resolution in the Niger Delta Region
It is the responsibility of the Niger delta development commission to help resolve issues in the Niger Delta region. As a matter of fact, the NDDC achieves this mandate through its conflict resolution committee.
This is done in a bid to ensure that there’s peaceful coexistence among the member states. There can be no development without peace and cooperation and this forms the focal point of the NDDC.
Read Also: Functions of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria
2. Development of the Niger Delta Area
It is a core task of the Niger Delta Development Commission to ensure sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.
Strides like basic infrastructural development are initiated by the Niger delta development commission especially in the rural and interior parts of the region, just to make sure that member states benefit from the dividends of democracy for proper inclusion.
This has gone a long way to assisting the state governments with some projects which would have affected the state’s finance greatly if handled by them.
3. Poverty alleviation in the Niger Delta Region
Among some of the functions of the commission is poverty alleviation. The comatose nature of the Niger Delta region some Years ago craved a need for special attention from the federal government.
This was in a bid to make sure that people of the region are trained so they become dependent and self-employed so as to reduce their dependence on the government while promoting self-dependence.
Many youths of the region have been trained in different skill acquisition programs and this has added great value to them. Today, the commission has lived up to the expectations and such strides are so commendable.
Read Also: Functions of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
4. Fostering Peace and unity Among the member states
As a matter of national interest, the Niger Delta Development Commission plays a key role in ensuring peace and unity between the states which make up the region.
This has been made possible by a series of alternative dispute resolutions, conflict resolutions, and a series of town hall meetings with stakeholders in the region aimed at charting a new course for the region.
5. Addressing issues of national interest as it concerns the Niger Delta
One cannot forget in haste how hard the Niger delta development commission worked towards ensuring that the militancy crisis in Nigeria sometime ago came to an abrupt end.
This is because as an agency in charge of the Region, it was supposed to tackle issues sprouting from the region even as they tend to be of national interest.
6. Special Intervention Programmes in the Niger Delta region
It is the responsibility of the commission to enact some special intervention strides to remedy numerous situations of emergency in the region.
Some of the special intervention programs of the commission include the renovation of dilapidated structures in schools around the region, road construction projects, etc.
Due to the invaluable roles played by the Niger Delta region towards ensuring a robust economy, it was pertinent that special attention is given to the area and the NDDC was established to make this a reality.
7. Creating a direct interface between Niger Delta, the federal government, and other regions of the Nation
Being the agency concerned with what happens in the Niger Delta region, the NDDC gives the federal government firsthand information on the way forward in the region, making recommendations as need be. Also, the NDDC gives a good platform for synergy between the Niger Delta area and other areas of the federation.
Read Also: Nigerian Communications Commission and Functions
8. It partners with various oil mineral and gas prospecting and producing companies on issues of pollution, prevention and control just to ensure a thorough cleanup of the oil production areas in cases of oil flooding to avoid harm to farms and other agricultural outlets
In all, the efforts of the NDDC geared at achieving its mandate over the years have been so invaluable and highly commendable. Today, the Niger delta is developed due to consistency in service delivery on the part of the commission.
