Former President Goodluck Jonathan, former SDP presidential candidate Prince Adewole Adebayo, and ex-Minister of Information Prof. Jerry Gana have attributed the prolonged underdevelopment of the Niger Delta to decades of weak leadership, political rivalry, and failure to implement key regional development plans.
They spoke on Friday in Abuja during the presentation of The Hidden Treasures, a 202-page book authored by former Delta governorship aspirant Chris Iyovwaye.
Jonathan, who chaired the occasion through his Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe, recalled several stalled regional initiatives that collapsed under the weight of political competition. He noted that despite the region’s vast natural and economic potential, strategic plans repeatedly failed due to a lack of political will.
“Deep inside here, we can have tonnes of gold, diamonds, and uranium. But it will remain zero until they are mined and brought out,” he said, adding that past attempts to unite South-South governors and federal lawmakers often faltered because personal ambitions overshadowed collective development goals.
He urged renewed commitment to a coordinated regional strategy backed by decisive action. According to him, the Niger Delta has the capacity to become Nigeria’s economic hub, particularly if its investment opportunities are properly mapped and implemented.
Adebayo described the region as an “economic paradise” mismanaged over generations. He argued that the Niger Delta is too richly endowed for its citizens to remain impoverished and called for leadership that prioritises long-term development over short-term political gains.
He said the region’s natural wealth far exceeds its current economic state, insisting that “blind leadership” has kept its vast opportunities hidden.
Also speaking, Gana lamented that the Niger Delta Development Commission, conceived in 1999 under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, has not delivered on its founding mandate. He recalled its original vision to transform the region into one of Nigeria’s most developed zones with modern infrastructure, but expressed disappointment in what he described as underwhelming outcomes.
He urged the current leadership of the NDDC to rise to the task of genuinely developing the region.
The Niger Delta remains central to Nigeria’s oil economy but continues to grapple with environmental degradation, poverty, unemployment, and decaying infrastructure.
Despite the creation of the NDDC to address these gaps, the commission has faced repeated allegations of mismanagement, abandoned projects, and political interference, leaving longstanding challenges unresolved.
