Tanya Davidson
Port Harcourt — The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, says it has introduced a new operational and governance framework designed to tighten accountability, standardise its processes and improve project delivery across the Niger Delta.
Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Chiedu Ebie, disclosed this at the Commission’s 2026 Partners for Sustainable Development Conference in Port Harcourt, saying the new Standard Operating Procedure and Governance Advisory Policies had been approved by the board.
He said the two documents would now serve as the Commission’s operational rulebook.
The development comes as NDDC seeks to strengthen stakeholder confidence in its activities and improve the way projects and programmes are conceived, implemented and monitored across the region.
Ebie stated that the SOP and Governance Advisory Policies “shall constitute the Commission’s Rule Book and strictly guide all processes and operations within the Commission.”
NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the Commission had also subjected its processes to a review by global business consultancy KPMG as part of efforts to strengthen its corporate governance system.
“We now have a robust Corporate Governance structure that fosters accountability and transparency, backed by a clear and measurable set of Key Performance Indicators to track progress toward goals,” Ogbuku said.
He said the Commission was using stakeholder engagement to strengthen trust and ensure that development programmes reflected the needs and priorities of communities and other partners.
“We have gathered at this conference to hear from the stakeholders to interact with them and rub minds because we realise that we cannot be planning programmes for the region without involving them at the foundational level,” Ogbuku said.
The NDDC boss said the Commission’s emphasis on engagement was also intended to help it leverage partnerships, overcome implementation challenges and avoid working at cross-purposes with other development institutions.
“Through engagement, the NDDC aims to foster partnerships to leverage collective strengths, overcome challenges, and avoid working at cross-purposes,” he said.
The governance reforms were announced alongside a broader push by the Federal Government to harmonise development planning among regional development commissions.
Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, urged the commissions to produce master plans that could be harmonised into a common regional development framework, saying coordinated planning was necessary to avoid fragmented development interventions.
The minister said the Federal Government was working on a policy framework to coordinate regional development initiatives and promote more inclusive growth.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, said the committee would continue to strengthen its oversight role to promote transparency, efficiency and timely project delivery.
The NDDC conference brought together government officials, development partners and other stakeholders under the theme, “Synergy for Transformation: Aligning Regional Development, Local Governance and Sustainable Partnerships in the Niger Delta.”
Ogbuku also disclosed that the 1.2-kilometre Kaa-Ataba Bridge linking Khana and Andoni Local Government Areas of Rivers State would be named after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
