UNDP, PIND Partner On Niger Delta Development, Investment Drive

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) have formalised a partnership to advance integrated development, investment, and resilience across the Niger Delta.

The partnership, sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will be implemented under the Integrated Smart States Programme (ISSP), with a focus on accelerating inclusive economic growth, strengthening institutions, and promoting climate resilience.

Both organisations said the collaboration will serve as a joint platform for designing, financing, and implementing investment-ready development projects, bringing together policy, delivery, and financing to achieve scalable impact.

UNDP noted that the initiative reflects a shift from fragmented interventions to integrated, multi-sector development approaches linking enterprise growth, clean energy, innovation, and community resilience.

Under the agreement, UNDP will provide global development expertise, policy advisory support, and investment mobilisation platforms, while PIND will contribute its experience in regional partnerships, peacebuilding, and programme implementation in the Niger Delta.

The partnership will focus on renewable energy for underserved communities, community resilience, MSME growth, trade and investment facilitation, innovation, digital transformation, and data-driven development.

It will also promote conflict-sensitive programming to ensure that economic development is supported by stability across the region.

The UNDP resident representative in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, said the collaboration would enhance the delivery of inclusive and scalable solutions.

“This collaboration reflects the importance of integrated, multi-sectoral approaches to development. By combining UNDP’s global experience with PIND’s regional knowledge, we can deliver solutions that are responsive to local realities while unlocking investment opportunities,” she said.

Also, the executive director of PIND, Sam Ogbemi Daibo, described the partnership as a step toward strengthening systems that connect economic opportunity, peacebuilding, and resilience in the region.