Mohammed Shosanya
The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC,has emphasised the import of its partnership with Chevron Nigeria Limited on the construction of the 70.75km Omadino-Okerenkoko-Escravos Road and bridges in the Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Its Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, spoke on the project when he led a delegation of the Commission’s Executive Management and Directors to meet with the Chevron Management led by the Director, NNPCL/Chevron Joint Venture, Dr Segun Kuteyi,at the Chevron headquarters in Lagos.
Ogbuku,according to s statement signed by the spokesperson of the agency,Seledi Thompson-Wakama, restated the commitment of the NDDC to the completion of the Omadino-Escravos Road, which he said would link Warri to Escravos, the hub of oil and gas activities in Delta State.
He added that the construction of the road would boost oil production and other economic activities in the area.
He identified Escravos as an area of special economic priority, stating that NDDC was taking steps to make it more accessible by rallying the support of stakeholders for a broad partnership that would expedite the construction and completion of the high-impact road to the area.
The NDDC boss stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration emphasised stakeholders’ engagement, noting that the Commission had adopted that approach and embraced the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.
Ogbuku noted that the partnership between the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and the NDDC in constructing the 25.7 km Ogbia-Nembe Road should be replicated for other projects.
He stated, “We chose the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model as an alternative funding source for the Commission. So, we have been seeking funding partners to complete our current projects and start new ones.”
According to the Managing Director, “One of the positive fall-outs of the PPP initiative is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the NDDC and the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited, NLNG. They agreed to collaborate on diverse fronts in delivering sustainable development projects.”
