Niger Delta Development Commission
Historical context
The Niger-Delta region, almost perennially, witnesses restiveness and agitations over resource control, ostensibly in protest of perceived neglect by the Federal Government (FG) and sustained environmental degradation arising from oil and gas exploration activities.
To curb the violence and tackle the ecological problems in the Niger-Delta, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established in 2000 pursuant to the NDDC Act. The NDDC is statutorily charged with the responsibility of formulating policies and guidelines for the development and rehabilitation of the region. It monitors the activities of oil producing and gas processing companies operating in the Niger-Delta area to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations and prevent pollution.
On 20 December 2017, the National Assembly’s passage of a Bill to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment, Etc.) Act, 2000 (NDDC Act) 1 made news headlines. The Bill received Presidential Assent nine days later, and thus became the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment, Etc.)
(Amendment) Act (NDDC Amendment Act).
At the early stages of the amendment process, the NDDC Act Amendment Bill appeared to have been conceptualized as a corrective piece of legislation to redress perceived lapses in the NDDC Act. Now fully enacted, however, the NDDC Amendment Act contains just one substantive provision that purports to do no more than amend a single sub-section of the NDDC Act. It is unsurprising, therefore, that in the wake of its entry into force, queries as to whether the NDDC Amendment Act has changed anything in the NDDC Act are rife.
Source: www.templars-law.com
Mission: To offer a lasting solution to the socio-economic difficulties in the Niger Delta region.
Vision: To facilitate the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful.
Values
• Patriotism
• Passion
• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Creativity and
• Team Spirit
For more info, visit www.nddc.gov.ng
