Concerns are mounting in the Niger Delta following President Bola Tinubu’s announcement during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has been scrapped.
In response to the President’s decision, Professor Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), criticized the move as an effort to “short-change the Niger Delta people without any regard for their overall interests.” He emphasized that the ministry, established by late President Umaru Yar’Adua to address the region’s developmental challenges, was essential for increasing oil output and should not be eliminated.
“You are causing pain to the same people you should be calming down to increase the daily output by scrapping a ministry that was created to cater to their infrastructural, educational, and social needs,” Okaba stated.
He also pointed out that the scrapping of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs presents both challenges and opportunities for the South-South geopolitical zone. He suggested that a properly structured and resourced South-South Development Commission could serve as a more agile and regionally focused body to drive sustainable development in the area. This initiative, he argued, must prioritize transparency, stakeholder engagement, and a comprehensive development agenda that extends beyond oil, addressing the long-standing economic, environmental, and social issues in the Niger Delta.
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) also voiced its discontent, labeling the scrapping of the ministry as “a slap on the faces of Niger Delta people.” Its President, Dr. Alaye Theophilus, warned that the President’s decision would have significant repercussions when he seeks votes in the South-South geopolitical zone for the 2027 elections.
“The overall interest of the Niger Delta people must be protected. You cannot just wake up and scrap a ministry that has been crucial to the development of the Niger Delta over the years,” Theophilus stated.