Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has commenced an engagement with media organisations to enlist their support in the disseminating information on the activities and programmes of the agency.
Leading a delegation from the NDDC corporate communication team, the director of corporate affairs, Mr Pius Ughakpoteni, visited the Port Harcourt offices of both government-owned and private media organisations.
At one of the offices, Ughakpoteni, who said members of his team were passionate advocates for the continuous growth and prosperity of the Niger Delta region, noting that the ongoing visits would extend to other media organisations.
He said, “The mission of NDDC is to serve as catalyst for the development of the Niger Delta region. We seek your partnership, not just as media organisations but as stakeholders in the Niger Delta project. Let us collaborate to write a new chapter in the quest to develop Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
“We are committed to transparency and accountability, and we believe that this collaboration will help us to achieve this goal in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.”
Ughakpoteni noted the importance of strategic and effective communication in facilitating sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.
He said, “We want the public to be adequately informed about our activities and we believe that the electronic media will play a key role in this regard.”
The director stated that the NDDC leadership under Dr Samuel Ogbuku as the chief executive officer, was working hard to bring a new lease of life to the commission.
He said, “We want you to help us to propagate the message that NDDC is now rebranding and doing things differently.
“We acknowledge that mistakes were made in the past but we are set to change the narrative. We, therefore, need the support of the media to achieve this objective.”
Ughakpoteni regretted that in the past, NDDC was associated with corruption and poor service- delivery. He remarked that the situation had changed for the better, hence the need to educate the public that the commission was on a new trajectory.
He said, “We recognise the fact that effective communication is necessary for success. We want to correct the wrong perception that the NDDC is synonymous with corruption.
“We have the responsibility to drive the message that the NDDC has rebranded. We seek your support in this regard. The news media plays an important role in shaping public opinion.”
