The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is actively seeking partnerships to fund extensive power and road initiatives valued at approximately $27.3 billion within Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region.
This information was unveiled in a document dated July 2023 titled “A Sea of Opportunities in the Niger Delta Region,” acquired in Abuja. The document outlines the projected advantages arising from these ventures.
The NDDC has allocated around $13 billion for the Niger Delta Regional Power Pool project, which is envisioned to establish a transmission network involving 19 gas-powered generators. This network will connect the nine states in the BRACED commission and supply a total of 7 gigawatts of affordable, dependable, and sustainable power across the region. The goal is to construct 27 dynamic industrial parks, each corresponding to a senatorial district, with power generation assets in each park. The interconnection of these assets through a regional transmission network will facilitate interstate power trading.
Additionally, the East-West Coastal Road project is set to commence from the Odukpani Junction in Cross River State, extending 704 kilometers and featuring 106-kilometer spurs and 180 bridges. The road project aims to foster connectivity along Nigeria’s coastal corridor, benefiting numerous communities and nine states, namely Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Ogun, and Lagos. The road is slated to conclude at the Ibeju-Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos State.
The NDDC envisions that the spurs of the East-West Coastal Highway will link the main route to significant economic centers in the northern and central regions of Nigeria. Furthermore, these spurs will grant access to the coastline for maritime industries, tourism, and recreational activities.
In terms of costs, the East-West Coastal Road project is projected to require $24.3 billion in funding.
The NDDC has established a Public Private Partnership Committee, aimed at managing the collaboration between public and private entities, to oversee the execution of the plan. In June, the Managing Director of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, emphasized the commission’s intention to foster collaboration with stakeholders and development partners to enhance outcomes in the Niger Delta region. The NDDC seeks to bolster relationships with these partners and the private sector to optimize developmental interventions.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Shuaib Belgore, also highlighted the strategic significance of the dialogue held by the NDDC, stating it is designed to accelerate the region’s development through additional funding streams and socio-economic initiatives. The dialogue offers an opportunity for stakeholders to collectively assess past development endeavors and establish a new roadmap rooted in transparency and corporate governance.
