NDDC hosts retreat to boost operational efficiency, corporate governance

As part of efforts aimed at improving operational efficiency and accountability within the commission, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) recently organised a three-day retreat and master class.

The event, titled: ‘Building Synergy for Optimal Service Delivery and Effective Corporate Governance’, was facilitated by Peace and Development Projects (PEDEP) and MARG Education International, with contributions from academic and consultancy experts, including KPMG.

In his keynote address, Ifedayo Abegunde, Executive Director of Corporate Services, highlighted the retreat as part of NDDC’s ongoing efforts to enhance internal processes and service delivery across the Niger Delta.

He urged staff to take the lead in promoting diligent corporate governance to ensure the commission fulfills its mandate.

Abegunde underscored the retreat as a testament to the commitment of the NDDC leadership under Managing Director Samuel Ogbuku and Governing Board Chairman Chinedu Ibie, aimed at repositioning the commission for effective and impactful performance across the Niger Delta.

Professor Sylvester Odion-Akhaine of Lagos State University, in his presentation titled “Discipline Capital: Service Delivery in Corporate Governance,” emphasized that the NDDC’s role is to drive development rather than serve private interests.

He stressed the importance of the commission delivering tangible benefits, such as reducing environmental degradation, providing potable water, and creating job opportunities for the youth.

“The NDDC role is cut out for it. It is a development agency that informs its mission, vision, and values. It has somewhat of an oversight function over the activities of corporate actors in the region from which it partly draws its funds.

“But reciprocally, the contributing bodies must not be made to feel that they are wasting their money. That feeling can only be cured by the performance and delivery of services-the extent to which it can reduce environment degradation in the region, provide portable pipe-borne water, access roads to communities, provide employment opportunities to the teeming unemployed youth, and equip them with twenty-first-century accommodating skills,” he added.

KPMG Nigeria’s Managing Partner, Tolulope Odukale, also spoke on the necessity of robust governance frameworks to ensure transparency and accountability within the commission.

He described the Retreat/Master Class as a pivotal moment for the NDDC as it seeks to enhance its governance and operational standards.

Managing Partner of Teh Impeccable Skills, Seyi Olulade discussed the significance of corporate services in the public sector, explaining how these functions are crucial for the smooth operation of organizations like the NDDC.

During the event, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, founding Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy, and Development, spoke on the importance of synergy within NDDC’s governance structures, stressing the need for collaboration between the board, management, other federal agencies, and the private sector.

The retreat also featured a tour of key cultural sites in Lagos, including the National Arts Theatre, National Gallery of Arts, and Universal Studios of Arts, allowing NDDC personnel to observe the state’s developmental strides firsthand.

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