The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has called on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to prioritize sustainable solutions to the economic and environmental challenges plaguing the oil-rich region. She made the appeal on Saturday during the commission’s 25th-anniversary celebration, stressing the urgent need for development to curb rising frustration and unrest among residents.
Decades of oil and gas exploration have left the Niger Delta severely degraded, with pollution, gas flaring, and oil spills devastating farmlands and waterways. Okonjo-Iweala acknowledged the NDDC’s efforts but urged stronger action, warning that failure was not an option.
“Let me first congratulate the NDDC for the work it has carried out for the people of the Niger Delta,” she said. “If I’m a bit critical in my speech, you know I mean it for good. You have done a lot, but you still have much more to do.”
Established in 2000 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the NDDC replaced earlier intervention agencies to address underdevelopment and marginalization in the region, which produces 90% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and 70% of its fiscal revenue. However, environmental damage and economic neglect have fueled discontent, threatening both local livelihoods and national revenue.
“The goose that lays the golden egg deserves attention,” Okonjo-Iweala emphasized, urging improved infrastructure, social services, and economic opportunities to ensure peace and productivity. She highlighted the NDDC’s critical role in reversing ecological damage, restoring livelihoods, and fostering prosperity to prevent further instability.
The Niger Delta remains one of the world’s most polluted regions, with experts estimating 9,343 oil spills in just 10 years—compared to 10 in the European Union over four decades. Annual environmental degradation costs $758 million, with local communities bearing 75% of the burden through contaminated water, barren farmlands, and biodiversity loss. Worse still, projections suggest 40% of the region could become uninhabitable within 30 years due to large-scale dam construction.
Okonjo-Iweala’s remarks underscore the urgent need for the NDDC and federal government to fulfill their mandate, ensuring the Niger Delta’s survival and Nigeria’s economic stability.
