By Jesse Ese | National News
Leaders and stakeholders across the Niger Delta have congratulated the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, on his 51st birthday, commending what they described as a renewed focus on completing development projects across the region.
The commendation was contained in a birthday message issued by the Forum of Apex Ethnic Nationality Leaders, Statesmen and Stakeholders of the Niger Delta and signed by Senator Ibok Essien, Professor Simeon Achinewhu and Professor A.W. Obianume.
The forum said the NDDC, which has historically faced criticism over abandoned and uncompleted projects, had under Ogbuku placed greater emphasis on completing ongoing and legacy interventions and delivering functional infrastructure to communities.
“It is worth saying plainly, the NDDC is not an easy institution to run,” the leaders said, citing interventions in roads, bridges, electrification, healthcare and education as evidence of what they described as a more focused approach to project execution.
According to the forum, the success of the Commission should not be measured by the number of projects announced, but by the extent to which such projects are completed and become useful assets to residents of the Niger Delta.
The leaders also highlighted human capital development as another significant aspect of Ogbuku’s tenure, pointing to youth internship schemes, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship programmes and technology-driven initiatives.
They noted that with the Niger Delta having a predominantly young population, sustainable development must go beyond physical infrastructure to include programmes that equip young people with skills, create livelihoods and enable them to contribute to the region’s economic growth.
The forum further cited institutional reforms and digitisation within the Commission as efforts aimed at strengthening the NDDC’s capacity to deliver on its mandate, while promoting accountability, efficiency and improved project management.
While acknowledging the national and international recognitions received by Ogbuku during his tenure, the leaders said such honours should ultimately be secondary to the lasting impact of public service.
“The point, as it always is with public institutions, is what remains after the office changes hands,” the statement said, stressing that the true measure of development should include roads that remain functional, healthcare facilities that serve communities and opportunities that enable young people to build sustainable futures.
The forum urged the NDDC leadership to sustain the momentum, particularly by ensuring equitable distribution of development projects across the nine Niger Delta states and extending interventions to communities that may not receive attention during major project commissioning ceremonies.
The leaders said continuity, equity and measurable community impact should remain key benchmarks for assessing development in the region.
Ogbuku, who holds a PhD, has served as Managing Director and CEO of the NDDC since 2023. His tenure has featured increased attention to ongoing and legacy projects across the Niger Delta, alongside programmes focused on human capital development and institutional reforms.
As he marks his 51st birthday, the forum described the occasion as an opportunity to celebrate the NDDC chief executive while also reflecting on the wider responsibilities of leadership in a region where the effectiveness of public institutions is ultimately measured by their impact on the people.
