The chairman of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Chibudom Nwuche, has pledged to overhaul the region’s development trajectory.

Mr Nwuche said this at the inaugural meeting of the SSDC Board in Abuja on Thursday, pledging to transform the commission for the nation’s benefit.

According to him, the commission will tackle the region’s deep-seated infrastructural and socio-economic challenges with urgency, vision, and strategic planning.

He explained that the passage of the Niger Delta Development Commission Act would help in catalysing the development of the Niger Delta region and bring the needed succour to the masses of those regions.

“Our country, from independence, has held a lot of promise, but unfortunately, we are still on the journey to development, while our contemporaries, like Malaysia, China, and Indonesia, have made much more progress,” he stated.

However, Mr Nwuche believed that the development commissions passed into law by President Bola Tinubu would provide room for the growth of the region and the country.

He cited Section 8 of the SSDC Act, which he said included the identification of underlying causes of underdevelopment in the region, as well as examining road and water transportation, industries, agriculture, telecommunications, electricity, urban development, and housing development, among others.

“It will then formulate practical solutions and implement sustainable development projects and programmes for the benefit of the region,” he added.

He added that the commission would address these priority areas by strategically deploying resources to ensure steady and sustainable progress.

Mr Nwuche said the SSDC would prioritise youth and women’s empowerment by collaborating with relevant stakeholders such as the National Assembly and the governors of the South-South states and would consult constantly with other development organisations to harmonise efforts and avoid duplication of projects.

He urged the board members and other staff to adhere to the code of conduct for public officers stipulated in the Constitution and work to earn the trust and respect of the people who have called them to serve.

Usoro Akpabio, the managing director of SSDC, stated that the commission would ensure the region’s cities, towns, and rural communities are not left behind.

Ms Akpabio said the SSDC would invest in capacity building, financial access, innovation ecosystems, and digital tools, ensuring that the people of the South-South are not just beneficiaries of development but remain its driving force.

She added that the commission would promote the blue economy, arts, culture, and tourism, which she described as vital economic levers and the cultural treasures of the region’s people.

(NAN)