No future in Niger Delta except we improve on health, education ― Obaseki

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State made the remark on Tuesday at the seventh edition of the Niger Delta Development Forum (NDDF) 2018, with the theme, “Delivering Results: Executing a State-Led Plan.”

Represented by the special assistant on Project and Economic Planning, Mr Joseph Ogoigbe, the governor warned that the region must plan well and execute well to deliver the goods to the people who’re earnestly yearning for development.

“In the Niger Delta, the infrastructural deficit is huge. Health and education performance, very low.

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“In various aspects of human endeavour, we performed poorly. If we are very honest with ourselves, we can easily conclude that in the Niger Delta, we have no future.

“The educational and health deficits do not show we have a future. Here we are discussing development plan, what are we going to focus on?

“How do we change things, because we must deliver. The world is not waiting for us. How do we shape the region?” he queried rhetorically.

The governor noted that the Niger Delta is worst hit when it comes to development, the region must plan well and execute the plans properly for the benefit of the people.

Executive Director of PIND, Dr Dara Akala, in his opening remarks, underscored the essence of the event, calling for a concerted effort to up developmental vision in the Niger Delta.

Dr Akala had earlier been quoted as saying that the NDDF 2018 gives Niger Delta states the opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and experience sharing activities between government and other stakeholders to facilitate the implementation of state-led development roadmaps in the region.

“States will get the opportunity to share their vision for their state-led planning processes and get feedback and support to help these local actors make informed decisions on the policy strategies, structures, and actions to apply in their areas of planning,” he averred.

As of the time of filing this report, Ondo and Bayelsa states had already shared their visions for their state-led planning processes with the panel of judges grilling the representatives to get feedbacks.

The one-day forum was organised by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and other development partners held in Benin, the Edo State capital.

The event availed states in the Niger Delta, in a competition, to identify and present a proposal for a long-term planning at a roundtable.

Two states with the best plans will be eventually selected and supported with technical and financial assistance from development partners to make the long-term plans a reality.

Apart from the Tuesday event in Benin, the second 2018 NDDF roundtable holds in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Thursday courtesy of PIND in collaboration with the Market Development in the Niger Delta (MADE) and the European Union’s Niger Delta Support Programme (DFID), among other partners.