Former Niger Delta Development Minister, Abubakar Momoh, has expressed strong support for the federal government's decision to dissolve the Ministry of Niger Delta Development, citing it as a strategic move to streamline regional development efforts across Nigeria.
Following the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) decision on Wednesday, October 23, President Bola Tinubu presided over a meeting in Abuja where it was announced that both the Niger Delta and Sports Development ministries would be scrapped. Their responsibilities will now be managed by newly established agencies, with the Ministry of Regional Development taking charge of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other regional bodies.
Momoh, who now leads the newly created Ministry of Regional Development, assured that the restructuring is an administrative change aimed at enhancing efficiency and will not diminish the focus on the Niger Delta region. Speaking to reporters at the State House, he emphasized that the NDDC remains intact and that the move will improve coordination across the country’s regional development commissions.
"For the people of the Niger Delta, rest assured that nothing has been taken away from you. The NDDC is still very much operational under the Ministry of Regional Development, along with other similar agencies," Momoh explained.
He praised the restructuring as a "forward-thinking" decision by President Tinubu, aimed at centralizing regional development oversight for better service delivery. The new ministry will now oversee not only the NDDC but also the North West Development Commission (NWDC), South West Development Commission (SWDC), and North East Development Commission (NEDC), further expanding its scope and impact across the country.
