Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has said that the establishment of the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) will put an end to portfolio businessmen who do not have any established businesses but go to the NDDC to seek support in one way or another.
He also announced that the commission has provided N30 billion in the 2024 budget as counterpart funding with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to support entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta.
He said that going forward, for anyone to benefit from NDDC’s future programmes that have to do with promoting entrepreneurs, the business must be a registered member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Dr Ogbuku made the statement at a sensitisation programme on the establishment of the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) held in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
He explained that NDCCITMA aims at promoting entrepreneurs, revolutionising business, and accelerating economic growth and development across the nine Niger Delta States, adding that the chamber would explore various opportunities across economic sectors in the region.
Ogbuku noted that the establishment of the NDCCITMA, one of the new innovations by his administration to drive NDDC from transaction to transformation, would also promote accountability and transparency in the Commission.
“Since we came onboard, we decided that we are going to change the narrative of the NDDC, and what you are seeing today is one of those new innovations that we are bringing into the Commission as a way of achieving that goal.
“When we said that we are transiting from transaction to transformation, this means sustainability, and for anything to be sustainable, there must be transparency, probity, and accountability,” the NDDC boss stated.
He added, “What we are doing here today is institutionalising probity and accountability, which will lead to sustainability in the areas of promoting entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta region.
“Over the years in the Niger Delta, it is very sad that most of us have been looked down upon. You go to places, and when you sound like an intellect, people are even surprised and will be asking if we have people like this in the Niger Delta. This is because we have not been able to have a platform to bring intellectuals and entrepreneurs together. But as much as we have all these people and possibly the best in Nigeria, yet people do not look into the region and see anything good.
“In some places, once you talk, they refer to you as militant. You don’t blame them because the only platform that the government of Nigeria brought together for the people of the Niger Delta is amnesty. Hence, every youth is seen as a militant. Meanwhile, we have talented youths who are software engineers and geniuses in various areas of technology, and also those who are successful in agriculture and different trades, but yet no platforms.
“That was one of the driving forces and the reason why we decided to establish the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce to create a platform where every entrepreneur in the region would be able to stand to showcase themselves, and people can see what the Niger Deltans can do.”
He urged the people, especially entrepreneurs, to use the platform to promote the true identity of the Niger Delta and her people, adding that in order to ensure that the NDCCITMA was strengthened, “the NDDC has also provided a N30bn budget in 2024, which we are also going to use as our counterpart funding with the Bank of Industry to support entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta.”.
He commended the South-South Chamber of Commerce for allowing the dream of the establishment of the NDCCITMA to come to pass.
He advised entrepreneurs in the region to take advantage of the opportunity by going to register with the NDCCITMA, noting that for anybody to benefit from programmes of the NDCCITMA that have to do with the promotion of entrepreneurs, that person must be a registered member of the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce.
He also advised IOCs operating in the region to take advantage of the chamber of commerce and interface with them, as they will be generating data on entrepreneurs in the region to guide and checkmate their operations.
Dr. Ogbuku said “The establishment of NDCCITMA will put an end to portfolio businessmen who do not have any established businesses but go to the NDDC to seek support in one way or another.
“For you to benefit from our future programmes, which have to do with promoting entrepreneurs, you must be a registered member of the Chamber of Commerce.
“NDDC will not give you agricultural loans or any support for your business; it is the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce. So the NDCCITMA will be the mediator between entrepreneurs in the region and the NDDC.
“NDDC will not micromanage the Chamber of Commerce; it is an independent entity that is affiliated with the NACCIMA. So long as NDDC does not have control over NACCIMA, it is the NACCIMA that has control over the NDCCITMA. We only midwife the process.”
“We are going to have a tripartite partnership of the NDDC, NDCCITMA, and the Bank of Industry. Ours is to guarantee the fund by paying our own counterpart funding. Once it starts, if you want to be a beneficiary, you only go to the Chamber of Commerce; they will initiate the process and interface with the Bank of Industry to give you the money if you meet all the qualifications.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the chamber Ambassador Idaere Gogo Ogan said that the establishment of the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) is the realisation of the long-standing desire of the region.
According to him, the people of the region have longed for a forum where they can seek genuine guidance and assistance in developing their businesses in all ramifications.
“Interestingly, NDCCITMA has properly represented the entire business sector in the region, touching on commerce, industry, trade, mines, and agriculture. NDCCITMA really has looked at the people of the region and their occupations and has carefully addressed their business needs and objectives, which have been carefully spelled out.
“As the pioneer chairman of NDCCIIMA, working with my board directors, I am committed to abide by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) established between NDDC and NDCCITMA. This MoU provides a structured framework for the two organisations to collaborate in the development of the region and its people in terms of commerce, trade, and industry, cutting across various sectors of the economy.
“It is obvious that the birth of NDCCITMA will in no mean measure contribute to the growth of our economy and bring prosperity to the people. From the maiden meeting of the directors of NDCCITMA, we have commenced serious networking with various groups, such as the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), the Technical Incubation Centres (TIC), trade groups, communities, academic institutions, and professionals, among others,” Amb. Ogan stated.
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