P/HARCOURT  – Poised to make some positive difference in the development of the Niger Delta region in line with its core mandate, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has entered into partnership with the Dutch oil giant, Shell and the Tony Elumelu Foundation in an effort to hit its self-set target.

“The partnership between the NDDC and Shell has been extremely cordial, as exemplified by their collaboration to construct the Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa State.

“We are looking forward to transparent partnerships with you and other oil-producing companies on how to deploy their contributions into legacy projects and programs that will benefit the people of the Niger Delta”, said the Commission’s MD/CEO, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, during a courtesy visit to Shell in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

Mr. Osagie Okunbor, the Managing Director of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN), said: “We have a long history of collaboration with the NDDC. We are symbiotically related to the NDDC. We will do our very best despite the harsh financial situation. We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with this Board and management.”

In the same vein, the Commission has also started to fine-tune a working partnership with The Tony Elumelu Foundation to develop entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta region.

Working out the details of the upcoming Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) – NDDC Entrepreneurship Programme was the focus of a meeting between the NDDC Public Private Partnership (PPP) Committee, led by Engr. Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, and representatives of the Tony Elumelu Foundation at the Commission’s Headquarters in Port Harcourt last week.

Tony Elumelu Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme which was launched in 2015, is Africa’s largest philanthropic initiative empowering African young entrepreneurs.

The NDDC Public Private Partnership (PPP) Committee, led by Engr. Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, also held an interactive session with the Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA) at the Commission’s Headquarters in Port Harcourt.

This is part of the ongoing efforts by the new NDDC Board of Directors and Management to find alternative funding sources for the Commission in implementing its policies and programs for the region.

POWERCHINA is an integrated construction group that provides investment and financing, planning design, engineering construction, equipment manufacturing, and operation management for clean and low-carbon energy, water resources, environmental construction, and infrastructure.

POWERCHINA has established its presence in diversified market segments by focusing on hydroelectricity and electric power. Its earliest presence in Nigeria can be traced back to 2002. Since then, more and more PowerChina subsidiaries have expanded their business to Nigeria. Over the past two decades, POWERCHINA has demonstrated its strong capability in infrastructure construction, especially in the power sector.

In the power sector, POWERCHINA has completed the Olorunsogo Gas-fired Power Plant Phase I and II, the Rehabilitation of the Kainji Hydroelectric Power Plant (1G5, 1G6 & 1G12), the Rehabilitation of Dadin Kowa Hydropower Plant as the sole EPC contractor; played the role as the critical subcontractor in Omotosho Gas-fired Power Plant; and will soon deliver the 700 MW Zungeru Hydropower Plant as the main contractor; and recently, they started the Rehabilitation and Extension of the Kainji Hydropower Plant (1G3, 1G4 & 1G9) to give the plant an additional capacity of 305 MW.

In other sectors, POWERCHINA completed 10.5-km road construction in the Ogun Free Trade Zone. The Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMMING) project is renovating and expanding dams in Kano State and Sokoto State among others.