The Commerce Africa African Reneissance
Related Articles
The Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) has offered to partner with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on industrial parks development in the Niger Delta region.
Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), Sen. Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, MFR; disclosed this on Thursday, 14th September 2023, when he led his Management team on a courtesy visit to NDDC at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He noted that OGFZA and NDDC play crucial roles in promoting sustainable development in the Niger Delta region and emphasizd the need for collaboration between the two organizations.
Responding, Managing Director of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, pledged his commitment to collaborate with OGFZA. He said,partnering with OGFZA will fast-track and accelerate development in the Niger Delta region . The Managing Director added that “having industrial parks is very key in the development of a society like ours and partnering to have an Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Park would achieve a lot. It will reduce the cost of production in the industries and enterprises that we intend to attract to the Niger Delta region. It will also promote entrepreneurship.”
“It only proves that our quest for partnership, which has been our core policy focus, is working” he said
According to him,on assumption of office, we realized that due to the dwindling funds, it would be very difficult for us to actualise the desired development of the Niger Delta region on our own.Yet, “the Niger Delta is in dire need of development. NDDC, being the vehicle that drives development in the region, must not depend on only one source of funds”, he maintained.
He said “over the years, we have depended on contributions from the Federal Government and international oil companies, as our only means for driving development”.
Kaura assured the NDDC helmsman that, “it is going to be a win-win situation for the NDDC and OGFZA, as it will ensure wealth creation, engage the youths and reduce restiveness in the Niger Delta region.”
