Business
N’Delta Development, My Priority -NDDC Boss
The managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr Chibuzor Ogwuoha has said that the Niger Delta region is in dire need of development and that he was poised to institute structures to positively change in the peoples standard of living.
This was the pledge made by the new NDDC Managing Director at a reception organised in his honour by the Senator representing Rivers west Senatorial district, Senator Wilson Asinobiake at his Apo Legislative quarters’ residence over the weekend in Abuja.
President Yar’Adua inaugurated the NDDC Board at the Presidential Villa, Abuja last Friday, with AirVice Marshall Larry Konya (Rtd) as Chairman and Mr. Ogwuoha as Managing Director.
Konya, from Bayelsa State was a former Chairman of the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) under the defunct General Ibrahim Babangida regime while Ogwuoha who hails from Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers was the Community Relations Manager of ELF.
Speaking at the colourful and well-attended reception, Mr. Ogwuoha said his emergence as the Managing Director of NDDC was the handwork of God and ‘not by might, not by power, not by money; while pledging to emulate Jesus Christ in his administration of the Commission.
According to him, “I can draw inspiration from Jesus Christ who washed the disciples’ feet and say leaders should do likewise”, knowing that the task before him is not an easy one.
He called on the people of the Niger-Delta to support him and his team in executing the task before them, noting that it is not his responsibility alone but that of the entire people of the oil rich region.
“If a Leader is leading and the people are not going along with him, he would not achieve much (but) if all of us agree to move, even the greatest mountains, we will pull down”, he said.
Ogwuoha who believes that there can’t be meaningful development in the region in the absence of peace gave the people of the region a charge on the need to keep the peace so that development could thrive in the next four years of his administration of NDDC.
His words: “I believe that all hands (in the region) must be on deck. We must be able to go back to our communities and tell them (that) where there’s no peace, there can’t be development. You need to buy into the programme of development, then what you’re expecting, you will get more than that”.
Noting that Niger Delta is not the worst place on earth, the new NDDC boss recalled that in the past the region recorded giant strides in food production and was self-sufficient, tasked the region to return to agriculture and feed the people as well as emerge as the nation’s food basket, adding, it was known in the past.
“I know it’s going to be an Herculean task, it’s going to be very difficult but one thing is obvious, if all of us agree to do it together, we will get there”, he said.
He continued “I believe very strongly that the Niger Delta of the past fed our people and that Niger Delta shall feed our people again. We are blessed, we can still make Niger Delta the food basket. Let us all begin to think on how to begin to add value to what we have”.
Ogwuoha challenged prominent sons and daughters of Niger Delta, particularly those from Rivers State and Ogbaland in particular to establish factories that could produce things like pure water, tissue and paper in their localities to engender development since “we cannot all be in oil companies”.
The Managing Director further thanked all those who contributed in no small way in making his new status possible, especially Senator Ake, recalling that “the journey was not an easy one, those who are at the corridor of power know all they went through
… if it is money, I will not be standing before you as the Managing Director of NDDC, I know some people who spent money to get this position but they didn’t succeed”.
“It’s time for us to move forward. With your support, we know we’ll get there. It’s not Chibuzor Ogwuoha that is there, (as NDDC MD) all of us are there. I believe with your commitment, there will be development in Niger Delta and Nigeria .. You’ll help me to succeed,” he emphasised.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has criticised Nigeria’s import ban on 25 categories of goods, claiming that the restrictions limit market access for American exporters.
This is the effect of President Donald Trump’s tariffs introduction on goods entering the United States, with Nigeria facing a 14 per cent duty.
The USTR highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s import ban on various sectors, particularly agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
The restrictions affect items such as beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and alcoholic beverages, which the United States sees as significant barriers to trade.
The agency argues that these limitations reduce export opportunities for United States businesses and lead to lost revenue.
“Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories impacts United States exporters, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
“Restrictions on items like beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and spirits limit United States market access and reduce export opportunities.
“These policies create significant trade barriers that lead to lost revenue for United States businesses looking to expand in the Nigerian market”, the agency said .
In 2016, Nigeria implemented the ban on these 25 items as part of efforts to control imports and stimulate local production.
Some of the banned items include poultry, pork, refined vegetable oil, sugar, cocoa products, spaghetti, beer, and certain medicines.
On March 26, 2025, the Federal Government also announced plans to halt solar panel imports to encourage local manufacturing as part of its push for clean energy.
A leading agribusiness strategist and digital agriculture expert, Ayo Oluwa Okediji, has sought cooperative-driven investments in sustaining growth of poultry industry in Nigeria.
He said the poultry industry was at a defining moment and requires urgent structural reforms to secure its future and ensure long-term sustainability.
Speaking on the theme, “Strengthening Poultry Farming Through Cooperative Synergy and Strategic Investments”, at the recently concluded Oyo Mega Poultry Workshop 2025 in Ibadan, Okediji called on poultry farmers, cooperative leaders, financial institutions and policy makers to rethink the existing structure of the poultry sector.
He stressed the need to transition from fragmented, individually-driven operations to well-structured, cooperative-led enterprises capable of attracting sustainable financing and securing long-term viability.
He said, “Our poultry sector cannot thrive on individual effort alone. We need to organise ourselves into cooperative clusters, build strong governance systems and position ourselves to attract the level of investment needed to sustain this industry beyond this generation.”
Drawing on lessons from successful global cooperative models such as Rabobank in the Netherlands and Landus Cooperative in the United States, Okediji introduced the FarmClusters Poultry Model, a locally adapted solution developed by Agribusiness Dynamics Technology Limited (AgDyna), a subsidiary of AgroInfoTech Africa.
According to him, the model is currently being piloted in Oyo State in partnership with PANOY Agribusiness Limited and local poultry cooperatives.
The Rivers State Representative of the Nigeria Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Industries and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. Erasmus Chukwundah, has urged palm oil farmers to consider hybrid seedlings for planting, if they must break even in palm oil business.
Chukwundah said this recently at the Free Oil Palm Business Climate Smart Best Management Practice/Assistance Training organized by Partnership Initiative In Niger Delta (PIND) for Palm Oil Farmers in Elele, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The Rivers representative said until palm oil farmers begin to consider such hybrid oil palm seedlings, they may not meet up with the daily increasing demand of palm oil in the market.
According to him, the seedlings produce up to 30 bunches at once that ripen same time.
He said PIND decided to partner with Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN) to ensure that the message was received by the targeted audience.
According to him, palm oil remained a popular choice of industry operators as it could be converted to many other products such as vegetable cooking oil.
He also noted that products such as motor tyers, marine ropes and others are now gotten from the palm tree.
Chukwundah, who is the immediate past Director-General of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industries, and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), further warned against use of unrecommended fertilisers in growing oil palms.
He noted that such practices could limit its export value or chances as the foreign marketers have a way of detecting such .
He reiterated the need for organic fertilizers, including poultry droppings, to enable them have a natural palm oil.
“People must reduce physical contact with palm oil production. That is why we are campaigning for hydrolic oil mills. The foreign markets are no longer interested in crude method of palm oil production”, he said.
Meanwhile, one of the farmers, Sonny Didia, who appreciated Chukwundah’s commitment towards the concern of farmers, appealed for an urgent need for loan opportunity with low interest rate in order to enable them beat the target.
King Onunwor