By Ogochukwu Isioma
The Niger Delta Development Commission Public-Private Partnership Committee Chairman, Engr. Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, has urged all stakeholders to hurry up and register for the NDDC PPP Summit 2023, as time is running out.
Making this disclosure amidst the countdown to Audu-Ohwavborua advised those interested in participating to register for the summit by visiting https://bit.ly/NDDC-PPP-Summit.
Audu-Ohwavborua said, “Registration is now open, and time is running out for interested participants who want to join the NDDC and its partners in exploring opportunities for collaboration and investment at the game-changing event that will launch a new era of sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.”
He added: “I strongly recommend that potential partners and investors not miss this opportunity to be part of the transformation of the Niger Delta region. Register now and join us at the NDDC PPP Summit 2023.”
The summit, themed “Rewind to Rebirth,” will take place on April 25th, 2023, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. It will showcase the NDDC’s new initiative for leveraging Public Private Partnerships to provide alternative funding sources for key development projects and programs. This initiative aligns with the NDDC mandate and Sustainable Development Goal 17, which focuses on partnerships.
Audu-Ohwavborua disclosed that the summit would feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, breakout sessions, networking events, and an exhibition of projects and initiatives by the NDDC and its partners.
In an invitation to the NDDC PPP Summit participants, Dr. Ogbuku disclosed that the NDDC was a public sector organization established by an Act of Parliament in 2000 to address the developmental challenges of Nigeria’s impoverished but hydrocarbon-rich Niger Delta region. He said that the Commission had embarked on this mandate with some visible impact since its inception. Yet they still had much to do.
The NDDC Managing Director said that inadequate funding ranked very high among the numerous challenges of the Commission. Against this backdrop, he said that the current Governing Board and management adopted the Public Private Partnership model as an alternative funding source for key development projects and programs. He said this initiative aligned with the NDDC mandate and Sustainable Development Goal 17, which focused on partnerships.
He added that they had carefully planned the NDDC-PPP summit as a strategic stakeholder meeting to launch their PPP initiative and communicate the next phase for the Commission. Furthermore, he said that they intended to use the summit to create a gateway of opportunities for foreign and local investors, captains of industries, and multilateral agencies, among others, to join hands with the NDDC to build a new Niger Delta that was economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful.
He concluded that he humbly invited them to attend this auspicious event and looked forward to their active participation. He said they would be honoured to have them share their insights and expertise. He said they should work together to cultivate an environment where everyone thrives. He said it was time to unlock the Niger Delta region’s potential and let it shine brightly.
