Lagos — Talking about the Niger Delta region often makes me to wonder if there is anything else that people do not know or have not said about the region.

However, despite all that might have been written or said about the region, one thing is certain that the Niger Delta is both a goldmine and a pathetic region in terms of development.

It is an area that holds a lot of economic potentials waiting to be tapped and it is also an area that has witnessed serious environmental devastation, poverty and backwardness. It is difficult to relate the wealth that the area produces daily with the penury that is prevalent in the region. Oil and gas, which account for about 90 percent of Nigeria's revenue, are produced from the area, which is one of the least developed parts of Nigeria. It is one area that is constantly battered by oil spills, gas flares and other forms of environmental pollutants while the people are in search of jobs and basic amenities in the midst of oil wealth.

The various Nigerian Governments have never shied away from its responsibility to cater for the oil bearing communities, going by the array of intervention agencies it has so far put in place to protect and promote the interest and wellbeing of the people of the Niger Delta.

From the Henry Willinks Commission of 1958 to the Niger Delta Development Commission and now the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, it should be clear to all right thinking Nigerians that the Government has been exploring ways and means of putting things right in the Niger Delta.

However, as I have said at other fora, the failure of such agencies to meet the needs of the people they were expected to cater for is a different matter all together. An examination of the intervention agencies so far shows a wide gap between people's expectations and government's genuine intention to meet their needs, which has to a large extent contributed to the slow pace of development and ongoing crisis in the Region.

It is this ugly scenario that Ebeanu (2008:1-79) has captured succinctly in his work entitled "Affluence and Affliction: The Niger Delta as a Critique of Political Science in Nigeria". The United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, which has been surveying development programmes in many countries of the world yearly, blames the crisis in the Niger Delta region on the inability of government officials to meet the basic needs of the governed. The UNDP noted in its 218-page report in 2006:

"The failure to meet people's expectations of rapid socio-economic development, together with the extravagance of some government officials in the Niger Delta region, has inflamed feelings of neglect and deprivation". It is this sense of deprivation and marginalisation being felt by the people of the Niger Delta that has encouraged some restive youth to engage in criminality with impunity, all in the name of Niger Delta struggle.

Some have tended to justify such criminality on the grounds that successive Nigerian governments and oil firms have not done much to compensate the oil-bearing communities for their contributions to the national economy. The devastation of farmlands, streams and the eco-system by oil production activities and the absence of commensurate projects and employment opportunities for the natives of the oil region, are not in themselves sufficient justification for the violence meted out to innocent citizens, but issues that need immediate redress in the interest of the Niger Delta and Nigeria. It must be acknowledged that for every pipeline that is damaged by militants, for every flow station that is attacked, we are retarding the development process in the region as funds that would have been utilised for such development are diverted to repair the damaged facilities. Does this not amount to shooting ourselves on the foot?

It is however, sad to note that while oil production in many other parts of the world has been conducted in accordance with best international practices, the reverse is the case in Nigeria. Those who are arguing against stoppage of gas flaring in Nigeria are either doing so for selfish reasons or are taking Nigeria and Nigerians for a ride.

If the United States of America allows only 0.6 percent of gas flare and Netherlands does not permit any flare at all, why should Nigeria become the base for gas flaring by oil firms some of which have complied with the zero flare policy in their home countries?

Imperatives for sustainable development in the Niger Delta

That the Niger Delta region is rich in natural resources but lacking in basic needs of life, is already well known. It is also a fact that the resources that abound in the area are enough to give every citizen a sense of belonging, if well harnessed. What then are the imperatives for sustainable development in the Niger Delta?

Peace as a precondition for sustainable development

To my mind, the first condition necessary for bringing about sustainable development in the Niger Delta is sustained peace. It is common knowledge that there can be no real development without peace in the Niger Delta or in any society for that matter. It is sad that for many years now, peace has eluded us in the Niger Delta, no thanks to groups or individuals who have given the erroneous impression that they are fighting for the emancipation of the people. It is an irony that the people, who kidnap for ransom, steal crude oil and sell or exchange same for arms, still claim to have the interest of the generality of the people at heart.

All the international groups that have so far approached the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for possible investment in the Niger Delta, have stressed the need for peace and security as preconditions for their investing in the Niger Delta and I totally agree with them. I am however happy to note that the Ijaw Youth Council and other similar groups, which were at the forefront of the peaceful agitation for a better Niger Delta, have already submitted a Roadmap for Peace in the Niger Delta and are ready to work for the return of peace in the region.

I wish to openly commend them for this spirit of reconciliation and patriotic disposition to heal the wounds of the past and forge ahead. My plea is that no group in the Niger Delta should do anything to stifle our growth since the area has already seen enough of backwardness and hostility. Perhaps to re-echo the words of the UNDP, let those still working against government's genuine effort to transform the Niger Delta remember that "all violent conflicts-including inter or intra-ethnic, hostage-taking, blowing up of pipelines, the occupation of flow stations, militants confrontation with the oil and gas companies and the government, etc have constrained development effort. In the Niger Delta, peace is one agenda with a universal appeal."

The United Nations Secretary General has also stated that development cannot proceed in societies where militancy and conflict are the order of the day. The lack of development on the other hand, contributes to the tensions that result in conflict. It is time for this vicious circle to be eliminated for us to move forward (UNDP 2006:149).

Another problem that impedes development is:

Uninterrupted power supply in the Niger Delta

Sustained power supply in the Niger Delta holds the key to sustainable development. The good news is that the region has enough gas deposit to guarantee uninterrupted power supply in the area.

That is why my Ministry is seeking collaboration with individuals and groups from within and outside Nigeria to embark on a vigorous independent power supply programme for the area.

I have received proposals on IPP from the Commonwealth Business Council and some others on how to facilitate this dream and we are still open to interested partners on this very vital project. The Federal Government also attaches high priority to this subject which constitutes one of the Seven-Point Agenda of the present Administration.

Implementation of regional mega projects by South-South States

The coming together of the six South-South states to work out an economic agenda for the zone is something that has far-reaching implications for sustainable development. The governors have made history as leaders who blazed the trail on regional integration in Nigeria. They deserve our support and encouragement for this pioneering effort.

One of the ways to realise the objective of this drive, is to embark on mega projects that cut across the region and are capable of adding real value to the people. In this connection, one would like to see the emergence of railway lines, monorails and coastal roads constructed to open up the hinterland. Happily, the six Governors are working along these lines and the Ministry would like to partner with them and the organised private sector to bring these to fruition.

No amount of money invested in these people-oriented projects would be too much in view of the multiplier effects that such projects could trigger in the region. The States can also adequately address the looming food crisis in the region by joining hands with the private sector and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to embark on a mechanised agricultural programme that would boost production, reduce unemployment and check food wastages associated with poor storage and preservation. It is my hope that with the land reform package being initiated by Mr. President, the issue of land would no longer be a barrier to large scale agricultural production in the Niger Delta.

Already, we are discussing with some Nigerians and foreign groups on how to establish a food chain in the Niger Delta and make agriculture to count as a business venture in the region by partnering with micro finance institutions to make funds available for agricultural production and processing.

Public Private Partnership

Mr. Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I believe strongly that the concept of Public-Private Partnership holds the key to the attainment of sustainable development in the Niger Delta. Nations such as South Africa, the UK and the U.S have successfully used the PPP to develop their infrastructure. The Governors of the South-South zone should take advantage of the existing law to promote PPP ventures in the region, knowing too well that sustainable livelihoods depend on adequate roads, electricity, housing and basic services. These are also priority areas for the new Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

I believe that the time has come for us in the Niger Delta to key into the opportunities provided by the Federal Government's new drive in infrastructural development.

Corporate Social Responsibility

It is to be noted that the escalation of violence in the Niger Delta would not have reached the dimension it has assumed today without the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in the Niger Delta over five decades ago. Although the level of neglect by oil companies does not justify the criminality perpetrated by some misguided elements under the guise of Niger Delta struggle, it is my prayer that oil firms adopt a better Corporate Social Responsibility in dealing with their host communities in the Niger Delta. It is not enough for oil and gas companies to allow their host communities to wallow in penury and anguish on the vexatious grounds that they are paying regular taxes and royalties to the Government.

As I said during my last meeting with oil companies in Lagos, multinational corporations in the Niger Delta should emulate the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company by making the people of their host communities to be an integral part of their operations. Although this may not be the perfect model, I believe it can go a long way in promoting good neighbourliness, peace and stability.

Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs approach to sustainable development in the Niger Delta

The effort of past intervention agencies to touch the lives of our people probably yielded little result because the beneficiaries of such projects were either totally ignored in the planning and implementation of the projects or were taken as passive observers or spectators.

Under the new arrangement being put in place by the new Ministry, development programmes are to be initiated, planned and implemented with the active participation of the beneficiaries. This is deliberate because of our belief that sustainable development can only succeed when the people are the integral part of the programme.

Any programme of development that does not make the beneficiaries the focus of the planning and implementation is bound to fail. That is why we have already started using the Bottoms-Up approach in our relationship with the States. We want the local people to be fully involved in the stages of our development programmes so that their aspirations can be fully captured and catered for.

The strategy to achieve sustainability of development projects in the region is community participation at the stages of conception, implementation and post-completion period. In other words, projects would be determined by the communities through a participatory needs assessment process and executed through locally constituted Project Management Committees. The work of the Project Management Committee does not terminate after the project had been delivered; the Committee will manage the project after delivery, since this is key to project sustainability in the long run.

There is also the need to set up Joint Project Implementation Committees, comprising my Ministry, State and Local Government officials to design and coordinate projects that could be implemented at the regional level or within a cluster of States. This arrangement is expected to yield two dividends, namely: identification of common projects, with a regional dimension to achieve economy of scale; and coordination of projects to avoid duplication of efforts and waste of resources.

Another strategy is pooling resources together to develop the region. It is obvious that the effort of individual development agents alone will not satisfactorily develop the region. In the past, some stakeholders had thought that the problem in the Niger Delta was the result of lack of capacity by governments at various levels to deliver infrastructure and make social investments in the region. But this is not totally correct.

The reality is that no single development agent can deliver infrastructure in the region in such a scale that will positively affect the standard of living of the people. This is not for lack of political will but because of limited development resources available to a single stakeholder.

An important aspect of this strategy is local capacity building to strengthen institutional and human resources in the area for the management of new infrastructure and other investments.

For us as a coordinating Ministry, we are ready to take the bull by the horn and ensure that our people fit into the oil industry, which we know is not only technology-driven but is also capital intensive and dependent on very skilful workers. To be able to realise this objective, we will identify the needs of the youths and design appropriate training programmes within and outside the country for youths who are willing and ready to learn so as to guarantee their career in the oil and gas industry or be self-employed. Our youth must be given the opportunity to play an active role in the oil and gas industry.

We have also begun the process of establishing Liaison Offices in the nine States that make up the Niger Delta so as to provide the required linkages between the Ministry's Headquarters, the States and the Communities. Besides, we are in the process of pre-qualifying consultants to guide us in project planning, design and implementation. Details of projects to be undertaken this year are to be advertised soon.

Only yesterday, the Federal Executive Council approved the re-award of the contract for the section of the East-West Road abandoned by Julius Berger on account of constant attacks by the militants, which resulted in the death of some security men and the kidnap of two of their expatriate supervisors. Also, as indicated in the President's address, my Ministry has been mandated to initiate action for the construction of the Niger Delta Coastal Road linking Calabar in Cross River State to Ilaje in Ondo State. These are clear demonstrations of the Federal Government's commitment to the development of the Niger Delta region.

Mr. Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I am excited about the enormous economic potentials that have been unveiled at this forum and the resolve of the Governors of the South-South to jointly harness them for the overall development of the people.

After listening to their lofty blueprints for the region, I want to congratulate them for their sense of commitment to the wellbeing of their subjects. Thinking about projects that cut across the entire region is an indication that they are ready to create wealth and make the people the centre of their activities and I wish to openly commend them for this lofty initiative.

I feel comfortable therefore to invite them to partner with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to bring about the implementation of these lofty blueprints in the interest of their people of the region in particular and Nigeria as a whole.

I believe we can do it and the time is now.