By Jerome-Mario Utomi
In my previous intervention NDDC and Sustainable Development of Niger Delta Region published in May this year, the piece objectively aligned with two striking observations.
First, it admitted that it is not as if past administrations in the country did not at different times and places make efforts to address the region’s challenges. But noble as those efforts were, considering the level of underdevelopment in the region; such efforts appeared too insignificant and short of what is required to care for the region’s development and more particularly, remain a far cry from what was needed to exorcise the ghosts of youth unemployment in the region. The ugly narrative persisted in the face of concerns raised by the global community who were chiefly not convinced that what now rested administrations were doing was the best way to solve the problem of the region.
The second was the observance of veiled agreement among critical stakeholders that one of the outstanding boards in present-day Nigeria is visibly capped with skills, belief, commitment, mode of thinking and in vigorous pursuit of opportunities to sustainably remove obstacles on the part of its targeted beneficiaries without regard to inadequate resources currently controlled, is the governing board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Two months after the piece, a recent disclosure by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, at the Technical Session of Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit 2024, organized by NDDC in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that his office is planning to set up a department to tackle insecurity in the oil-producing area, not only exemplifies a federal government ready to depart old order and do things differently for the benefits of the people of Niger Delta region, rather, the latest security proposition by President Bola Tinubu’s government more than anything else, confirms as true the believe that he is indeed “deeply committed to transforming the region to a zone of peace and development.”
This latest assertion is predicated on the understanding that without security, no society, region or nation should contemplate growth and development. The facts are there and speak for it!
With the above point highlighted, the piece will beam searchlight on how the proposed security architecture hopes to transform the region into a hyper modern society when implemented.
Speaking on the topic Sustainable Development of Niger Delta: A National Security Outlook’, Ribadu among other remarks said, “When I was appointed by President Tinubu to the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA), established under Section 132 of the Constitution to provide strategic advice on matters relating to national security, three things were clear in my mind about the Niger Delta Region.
“First, the Niger Delta must be captured in a more active and determined way as a national security priority in the vision of President Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda. Secondly, within the President’s broader and long-term national security vision, which includes moving internal security from the current strong posture from kinetic to non-kinetic operations, I will emphasize security from human and socio-economic development point of view to deepen democratic culture in the Niger Delta. Thirdly, given the above two central ideas, I am determined to set up, for the first time in the ONSA, a Directorate that shall specialize in the security of the Niger Delta through which we can, as stakeholders, take a critical look at the peculiar security challenges of the region in a focused and professional way.”
Accordingly, he added, “My team on Niger Delta (led by my Special Adviser on Energy Security and Niger Delta Affairs) is currently working closely with the Governors of the region and the Presidency. They will eventually include all stakeholders of the region such as community leaders, traditional rulers, women, youth and students, Government Security Agencies (GSA), Federal Government Agencies (FGA) relevant to the region, businesses, civil society, people organizations and the media.
“They will have a very robust engagement to support the President articulate a Compressive Presidential Policy on Niger Delta Security, noting that when that fully materializes, the President will most likely personally present policy guidance that will define his security management posture for the sustainable development of the Niger Delta, under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he stressed.
Another area of interest captured by the speech that in the opinion of this piece, needs to be celebrated was the federal government’s appreciation of the Niger Delta region as the “economic powerhouse of the nation.”
“To supply an appetizer into the thinking of the Presidency flowing from my office and the ongoing consultation with the Governors of the region, the President recognizes that the Niger Delta region provides an estimated 75% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings. Also evident is that most of Nigeria’s maritime domain and international coastline outside of Lagos, all of which are within the Gulf of Guinea, are on the coast of the Niger Delta and this region is critical to the development of Nigeria’s Blue economy.”
Continuing, Ribadu succulently added, “The political and socio-economic progress of Nigeria is therefore heavily tied to the social stability of the Niger Delta. Before 2024, a 1.8 million barrel per day production quota was allotted to Nigeria by OPEC. However, only less than 1.4 million barrels per day with a shortfall of 600,000 barrels per day is produced. This is due to socio-economic issues that relate to security such as Crude oil theft, pipeline vandalization, environmentally harmful artisanal refining, Sea piracy and youth militancy.
“The President is deeply concerned that the purpose of federal agencies, which was to respond to socio-economic issues, stabilize, and integrate the region is not proving successful if we cannot produce our allotted quota.
“This is why a collaborative policy and intervention framework has become necessary. The ONSA is consulting widely, collecting, and building a body of knowledge, information and data that will eventually help Mr. President prescribe policy, and create laws that will address in a more holistic and coordinated way, the security and conflict situation in the Niger Delta to enhance sustainable development,” he noted.
Another commendable part of Ribadu’s presentation was his recognition and declaration that sustainable peace, security and social stability in the Niger Delta region increasingly moving away from kinetic engagement (stick model) towards non-kinetic engagement (carrot model), will flow from coordinating the responsibilities of relevant organs of public sector, private sector, development sector, civil society and media toward a clearly, articulate and better-planned understanding of the nexus between security and development.
“Accordingly, to achieve an optimal outcome for set security priorities and objectives, Mr President thinking as a democrat, for his Renewed Hope Presidential Policy on Niger Delta Security, shall derive its legitimacy and credibility from listening to the people, their governments at State and LGA levels, the leadership of communities, businesses and civil society, building consensus and creating systems that will address identified limitation.”
As my office puts this process in place, we hope to get into action soon and bring all stakeholders to make contributions. Until that is fully in place, kindly be reassured that the Niger Delta has assumed a new sense of meaning and priority in my office. With the best of luck, we would get there. He concluded.
Without going into further analysis, it is obvious to this piece that this is another message of hope for the Niger Delta region and its people. Also working in favour of the region is the awareness that NDDC on its part, is doing everything humanly possible to bring coordinated development and end infrastructural drought in the region.
Utomi Jerome-Mario is a Lagos-based media professional. He can be reached via [email protected]/08032725374