Abstract
The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is of critical importance to the country because of its oil revenues. Noteworthy, it is also strategic to the international community because of its significant contribution to world supply of oil; such that any shortage of oil supply from the region invariably causes increases in international oil prices. From the 1970s to date oil revenues derived from the Niger Delta region have been used to develop other parts of Nigeria, while the region has been left underdeveloped. This contradiction led to protests by the people of the region, which led to the establishment of the Oil Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) in 1992. The dream of OMPADEC was the transformation of the Niger Delta region from the state of poverty and underdevelopment to a prosperous society equipped with modern facilities and infrastructure. However, that dream failed due to several factors, including corruption and poor project execution. This disappointment generated intensified protests by the people of the region, leading to the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2000 with the same mandate as OMPADEC. Many scholars have suggested that the NDDC has failed. This article assesses this suggestion and concludes that the NDDC is another failed dream. To succeed, appropriate recommendations are made towards reformation of the Commission for effective performance.
Highlights
Introduction and Background of StudyIt is well-known that Nigeria’s economy is based mainly on oil revenues derived from exploitation of oil from its Niger Delta region [1, pp. 71-74, 2]
Since the first discovery of oil in 1956 it was only in October 2019 that crude oil deposit has been found elsewhere outside the Niger Delta region [3, 4]. This means that Nigeria's infrastructure has been built by oil revenues derived from exploitation of oil in the Niger Delta region
Before it was established as a specialized/interventionist development agency, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) had failed to develop the region directly through oil revenues derived from exploitation of oil in the region or through
Summary
It is well-known that Nigeria’s economy is based mainly on oil revenues derived from exploitation of oil from its Niger Delta region [1, pp. 71-74, 2]. Apart from the foregoing, the Commission is charged with other responsibilities under section 7 (1) (f)-(j), which require the agency to: (a) identify factors that inhibit the development of the Niger Delta area and collaborate with member States in the formulation and implementation of policies that would bring about efficient management of their resources (section 7 (1) (f)); and (b) assess and report on any Non-NDDC project being funded or carried out in the NigerDelta area by oil and gas producing companies, inter alia, and ensure that funds released for such projects are properly utilized (section 7 (1) (g)). The agency is required to ‘tackle ecological and environmental problems that arise from the exploration of oil mineral in the Niger Delta area and advise the Federal Government and the member states on the prevention and control of oil spillages, gas flaring and environmental pollution’ (section 7 (1) (h)) This is one of the most important functions of the NDDC, given the complaint of the Niger Delta people that oil operations have devastated their environment [42]. Given that the central aim of the establishment of the NDDC is the sustainable development of the Niger Delta Region, [43, p. 43] there is an omnibus provision which empowers the agency to ‘execute such other works and perform such other functions which in the opinion of the Commission are required for the sustainable development of the Niger Delta area and its peoples’ (section 7 (1) (j))
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