NDDC Reiterates Commitment to Educational Development in N’Delta

Sunday Okobi

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to playing a strategic role in the development of education in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking at the 2025 Moot Court and Mock Trial Competition for Faculties of Law in Universities in the Niger Delta region, Ogbuku emphasised that education is key to sustainable development, capacity building, poverty reduction, and violence eradication in the region.

The competition, which is part of the NDDC’s 25th-anniversary celebrations, brings together students from various universities in the Niger Delta region to showcase their advocacy skills and intellectual prowess.

The competition, which is expected to feature about 20 universities from across the region, promises to be bigger and more competitive than last year’s edition.

Ogbuku, represented by the Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Boma Iyaye, urged participants to engage in constructive and intellectually stimulating arguments that highlight the peculiarities of the region and proffer solutions that would inform future law-making and facilitate rapid and sustainable development.

The NDDC MD emphasised the importance of intellectual capital in advocating the rights of the Niger Delta region, stating that it would be a more potent weapon than militancy and violence.

He quoted Mahatma Gandhi, saying: “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, for full effort is full victory.”

Ogbuku highlighted the NDDC’s significant contributions to education development in the region, including foreign scholarship schemes, infrastructure projects, and human capacity development initiatives. He noted that the commission’s current leadership led by Chiedu Ebie has invested heavily in educational development and human capacity building, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to him, “Last year’s contest was very impactful and colourful, and we witnessed some of the brightest advocacy skills of the next generation of the legal profession from the on display, which resonates with the commission’s investment in youth engagement and human capacity development.”

In his welcome address, the acting Director, Legal Services of the NDDC, Victor Arenyeka, emphasised the importance of moot court and mock trial competitions in legal education.

He noted that the competition is designed to simulate legal issues relevant to the Niger Delta region, such as environmental law, oil and gas law, sustainable development, and ESG considerations.

Arenyeka noted that the success of last year’s competition, which was adjudged as one of the best moot court competitions in the country, has led to increased participation and interest in this year’s event.

The NDDC’s commitment to promoting legal education and development in the region is evident in its support for the competition.