The 2nd Key Element of The 7 Point Agenda - The Niger Delta

2. The Niger Delta:

This region, more than any other region in Nigeria, faces a number of developmental challenges, which include environmental degradation, pollution, oil spills, human capital developmental issues and socio-economic and political problems. One of the core objectives of the 7 Point Agenda is to address these myriad of problems through the concerted implementation of the existing Master Plan and deploying appropriate funding for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The outcome of this will be the engagement of the key sectors of the regions potentials- agriculture, information and communication technology, tourism and industry. This will in turn, diversify the regional economy for growth, while improving the living standard of the people and also improving governance at the grassroots level.Dependence on the oil and gas industry weakens the other sectors and narrows the region’s economic base as the sector is both extraverted and capital intensive. The Federal Government of Nigeria encourages dialogue with stakeholders and has increased derivation on oil and gas revenue due to the region from 3 percent to 13 percent. Government also established the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by an Act of the National Assembly in 2000. The NDDC is currently funded by the Federal Government and the oil companies. The NDDC has received an aggregate of N241.584 billion from 2001 – 2006.
Under the proposed big-push approach to develop the region, the following will provide the needed ‘quick-wins’:

i. Faithful implementation of the Niger Delta Master Plan

ii. Mainstreaming small business development initiatives

iii. Enforcement of the local content policy in the oil and gas sector; and

iv. A regional gas grid alongside an effective inter-modal transport system to enable industrialization and development of the region on public private partnership (PPP) basis.

Equally important in this process is better, accountable and coordinated deployment of the Derivation Funds, NDDC and other long term funds available, into the right capital projects. This is an opportunity to be utilized

Restiveness and agitation for resource control by people of the Niger Delta region has become mixed with armed militancy, brigandage and criminality. Further unfolding events have led to the Federal Government establishing the Niger Delta Ministry, which is hoped will enable better focus on the plethora of challenges enveloping the region. The recent blanket amnesty granted by President Umaru Musa Yar'dua to the Niger Delta militants is one of the strategies of the government to create a lee-way that will lead to the process of a permanent solution to the Niger Delta equation.