The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is urging traditional rulers across the Niger Delta region to strengthen peacebuilding efforts in their communities. The call comes as part of ongoing efforts to ensure lasting peace and sustainable development in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking during the Annual Strategic Consultative and Feedback Forum for Traditional Rulers in the Niger Delta, held in Port Harcourt, NDDC Managing Director Dr. Samuel Ogbuku commends the monarchs for their continued support in maintaining peace. He says the relative peace in the region has made it easier for the Commission to deliver key development projects and attract more federal attention.
According to Mediaplusng.com, the annual forum serves as a vital platform for engagement between the NDDC leadership and traditional institutions. The goal is to ensure participatory development and improve collaboration with critical stakeholders across the region. The 2025 edition focuses on the theme: “Peace Building and Conflict Management in Communities.”
The forum provides the Commission with an opportunity to strengthen partnerships with traditional leaders in promoting stability and resolving conflicts in oil-producing areas. Dr. Ogbuku, who joined the session virtually, praises the traditional rulers for their pivotal role in sustaining calm across the Niger Delta and urges them to keep working together for continued progress.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Stephen Okodudu, a former Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, highlights the importance of aligning development projects with the actual needs of host communities. He notes that addressing local priorities can significantly reduce cases of unrest and misunderstanding between communities and development agencies.
Also speaking, His Majesty Obafemi Ogbaro, the First Deputy National Chairman of the Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON), reaffirms the commitment of traditional institutions to support NDDC’s peacebuilding agenda and ensure that development reaches all parts of the region.
At the end of the engagement, traditional rulers are expected to submit recommendations highlighting their community-specific needs to guide the NDDC in effective planning and fair allocation of development resources.
As reported by Mediaplusng.com, the Commission says continuous dialogue with local leaders remains crucial to sustaining peace, driving inclusive development, and fulfilling its mandate to improve lives in the Niger Delta.
