Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has pledged to collaborate with the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, OGFZA, on the development of industrial parks in the Niger Delta region.
NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, speaking during a courtesy visit by the Managing Director of OGFZA, Senator Tijjani Kaura, at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, noted that industrial parks occupy a strategic position in sustainable development value chain because of their multiplier effects.
Ogbuku said he was confident that partnership with OGFZA in the development of industrial parks would promote investment and economic development for creating wealth and employment in the Niger Delta region.
He said, “Having industrial parks is very key in the development of a society like ours. Partnering to have an Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Park would achieve a lot. It will reduce the cost of production in the industries and enterprises that we intend to attract to the Niger Delta region. It will also promote entrepreneurship.
“Having industries in one park comes with a lot of advantages for both the companies and the people of the region. We need industrialisation in the region in order to create job opportunities for our youths and women.
“The Niger Delta is in dire need of development. NDDC, being the vehicle that drives development in the region, must not depend on only one source for funds. Over the years, we have depended on contributions from the Federal Government and international oil companies, as our only means for driving development. Right now, we believe partnering with corporate bodies and government agencies will fast-track and accelerate development in the Niger Delta region.”
Earlier, the Managing Director of the OGFZA, Senator Tijjani Kaura, noted that both his organisation and the NDDC occupy strategic positions in driving sustainable development in the Niger Delta region, making it imperative for both agencies to work together.
Kaura noted that both agencies should complement each other in the discharge of their duties, stressing the need for collaboration between the NDDC and OGFTZA in the establishment of Industrial Parks.
He expressed optimism that industrial parks would accelerate development in the Niger Delta region, and called for the setting up of a Technical Committee to work out the details of the partnership between the NDDC and OGFTZA on the industrial parks’ initiative.
“It is going to be a win-win situation for the NDDC and OGFTZA, as it will ensure wealth creation, engage the youths and reduce restiveness in the Niger Delta region.”
