…As FG calls for more collaboration to deliver sustainable projects
TUE MAY 28 2024-theGBJournal| The 25.7km Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa State have been commissioned.
The NNPC Ltd. and its joint venture partners, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), TotalEnergies, and Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) – in collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC0 commissioned the road project today, 17 years after the project was initiated.
Recall that the project was stalled from 2007 to 2013 due to issues with community compensation, insecurity, and lack of funds.
However, when Senator Dickson became governor in 2013, the state government intervened, donating N3 billion to restart the project.
The project, valued at N24.5 billion, traverses mangrove forests with seven bridges and five culverts and connects 14 communities.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony held in Nembe on Monday, the Minister of the Niger Delta, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said the project was in alignment with the President’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” for sustainable development in the Niger Delta region in particular and Nigeria in general.
“This project is evidence of what good partnerships can bring to communities,” the President said, urging other oil companies to collaborate with the NNPC Ltd. and the NDDC to deliver transformative projects.
Earlier in his remarks, the NNPC Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Mr. Bala Wunti, who was represented by Mr. Obinna Aralu, expressed satisfaction with the completion of the road, describing it as “a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision.”
He said the road was more than just an infrastructure, as it symbolises progress, connectivity, and opportunities for the Nembe people through seamless transportation, an increase in economic activities, and a general improvement in the quality of life.
Wunti also thanked all the partners and stakeholders for their contributions to the successful delivery of the project.
On his part, the Managing Director of SPDC and Country Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, highlighted the transformative impact of the project, stressing that it “will connect communities to the city centre, boost economic activities, and reduce risks associated with river transport.
Okunbor reiterated Shell’s commitment to partnering with government agencies to deliver projects that are beneficial to the people of the Niger Delta region and Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said the commission was dedicated to completing projects across the Niger Delta region that serve the urgent needs of the communities.
The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, commended the NDDC, NNPC Ltd. and its partners for the project.
The Deputy Governor emphasized that the Bayelsa State Government’s contribution was crucial to the project’s completion and urged for fairness and accurate representation of the story.
He also commended NDDC, Shell, NNPC, and their partners for their role in completing the project and expressed the state’s openness to partnerships on other landmark projects, including: Akaba-Okodi Road, Nembe-Brass Road, Ekeremor-Agge Road, Opume-Okoroba Road and the Otuasega-Oluasiri Road
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