Stakeholders from the Niger Delta, including traditional rulers, youth leaders, students, and others, gathered on Friday in Port Harcourt to praise President Bola Tinubu for his two years in office, stating that he has performed remarkably well.
Meeting under the auspices of the Niger Delta Progressive Alliance (NDPA), the stakeholders agreed that President Tinubu’s administration has benefited the Niger Delta region more than recent past administrations.
They highlighted several achievements, including the establishment of a federal university, stability in the board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the reconstruction of the Eleme Junction to Onne axis of the East-West Road, and the continued cleanup of Ogoniland, as significant benefits for the region during his tenure.
The event was held under the theme, “Two Years of Stewardship: Tinubu’s Footprint in the Niger Delta, Legacy in Motion,” centred on celebration, reflection, and renewed demands for inclusive development in the region.
In his welcome address, Niger Delta Progressive Alliance Convener, Victor Udoh, described the event as a turning point for the Niger Delta, emphasising that the time for transformation in the region is now.
“This day dawns not merely as a page turned on the calendar, but as a clarion call echoing across the creeks, rivers, and coastlines of the Niger Delta. In the heart of Port Harcourt, the symbolic capital of the Niger Delta, we gather not only to witness, but to reckon and to dream anew.
“This theme ‘The Future Is Here’ is neither a rhetorical flourish nor political optimism. It is an intentional declaration that we stand at the edge of a long-awaited inflexion point, heralding a movement. A movement that proclaims, with hope and conviction, that the future is no longer a distant promise. It is here, now, and unfolding before our eyes.
Udoh commended President Tinubu for redirecting national attention toward peacebuilding and intellectual empowerment in the region, citing the progress in education, infrastructure, and environmental recovery.
He also called for the deepening of development narratives that prioritise human dignity alongside resource management.
“Across the region, organisations once chiefly known for surveillance and security are becoming engines of corporate social responsibility and community engagement. The Niger Delta is no longer a metaphor for grievance and volatility. It is becoming a metaphor for possibility and visibility.
“Visibility in environmental justice, where coastlines once ravaged by pollution are entering national consciousness as frontiers of regeneration.
His Royal Majesty, Stanhope Okeorji of Amato Mgboko community in Abia State acknowledged Tinubu’s efforts but appealed for stronger grassroots impact. “It is not easy managing 36 states. We understand, but our people are complaining bitterly. Those close to the president should let him know,” he said.
Similarly, His Royal Highness, Abiye Iyo, Omubaraibibo of Etche LGA in Rivers State, commended the president’s role in restoring peace between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike as he called for increased investment in tech-driven job creation for youths.
“We thank the president for his swift intervention in Rivers State and to help help broker peace between Governor siminalayi Fubara and the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike, for all of us here we can not thrive without peace and peace in the Bible was mentioned in the Bible up to five hundred times without peace there will be no development so we should embrace peace in the Niger Delta. We want the organisers of this event to look into job creation for our teeming youths now that the world has gone digital whatever the president policy is it should centre on tech”.
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