The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, (rtd) has called on development partners to expand their interventions in the Niger Delta by prioritizing innovation hubs, industrial clusters, digital centers, and skills acquisition programs alongside physical infrastructure.
The Administrator made the appeal on Friday while receiving the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Port Harcourt.
The Minister was accompanied by the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, as well as senior officials from the ministry and NDDC board members.
Vice Admiral Ibas emphasized the need for a holistic approach to development in the Niger Delta, stating that meaningful progress must go beyond roads and bridges to include economic empowerment and human capital development.
“Infrastructure remains a major need, but so is social investment, human capital development, and economic inclusion. A bridge that doesn’t lead to opportunities is a bridge half built,” the Administrator declared.
He stressed that the Niger Delta, endowed with vast natural and human resources, must adopt development models that stimulate regional and national economic growth.
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“We must focus on innovation hubs, industrial clusters, agro-processing zones, digital infrastructure, skill acquisition centers, and youth enterprise development programs,” Vice Admiral Ibas urged.
The Administrator praised the NDDC for its longstanding collaboration with Rivers State, citing key projects such as the ongoing Kaa-Taaba bridge in Ogoni land and the Borikiri ring road in Okrika.
He described these initiatives as “economic arteries” that connect communities and transform lives.
Vice Admiral Ibas commended the Minister’s visit as a positive step toward aligning federal and state development goals and called for deeper collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, the NDDC, the newly established South-South Commission and the Rivers State Government
“We must remove bottlenecks, identify real needs, and ensure impact is felt where it matters most,” he pushed.
In his remarks, Engr. Abubakar Momoh explained that his visit was part of a nationwide assessment tour to evaluate ongoing and abandoned NDDC projects, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to complete all such initiatives in the region.
The Minister lauded Vice Admiral Ibas for fostering peace and stability in Rivers State, which he noted has attracted investments and revitalized commercial activities.
