Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to deliver sustainable and impactful solutions to the longstanding economic and environmental challenges in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Speaking during the 25th anniversary celebration of the NDDC on Saturday, Okonjo-Iweala delivered a frank assessment of the Commission’s performance, commending past efforts but emphasizing that much more remains to be done. She warned that the continued neglect of the region’s socio-economic welfare has led to widespread frustration and restiveness that threatens national stability.
“You, the NDDC, cannot afford to fail,” she declared, reminding stakeholders that the Niger Delta remains central to Nigeria’s economic survival, accounting for 90% of foreign exchange earnings and 70% of fiscal revenue. “The goose that lays the golden egg deserves attention in the form of infrastructure and social services,” she stressed.
Okonjo-Iweala recounted the origin of the Commission, noting that it was born out of government recognition of the deep-seated grievances of the people following years of marginalization and environmental degradation caused by oil and gas activities.
She pointed to issues such as oil spillage, gas flaring, and the collapse of fishing and agricultural livelihoods as clear examples of the ecological and economic toll on the region. With Nigeria recording over 9,343 oil spill incidents in just a decade, the Niger Delta has become one of the most polluted regions globally. In comparison, the European Union recorded just 10 oil spills in 40 years.
The WTO chief highlighted alarming statistics that underscore the urgency of intervention: the region loses an estimated $758 million annually due to environmental damage, 75% of which is borne directly by local communities through polluted water, infertile land, and loss of biodiversity. She also warned that up to 40% of the region’s habitable terrain could vanish within 30 years due to unchecked environmental destruction and dam construction.
Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that the NDDC must go beyond ad-hoc projects and instead drive long-term economic transformation by prioritizing infrastructure, clean energy, social services, and job creation. “The NDDC is to offer a lasting solution to the socio-economic difficulties of the Niger Delta region,” she said.
She concluded by reminding the Commission of its twin responsibilities: to tangibly improve the lives of the people and to stabilize the region, thereby securing Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy from further disruption.
Her remarks come at a time when local and international observers continue to criticize the slow pace of development in the region despite decades of oil wealth and intervention programs.
