(DDM) – Communities across the Niger Delta region have issued a strong appeal to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to urgently return to site and complete abandoned projects.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that frustration has been mounting as several vital infrastructure projects, including roads, schools, and water schemes, remain incomplete years after contracts were awarded.
Community leaders accused the NDDC of abandoning its statutory responsibility to the oil-producing states, describing the situation as unacceptable and detrimental to regional development.
They argued that the prolonged neglect has worsened hardship, deepened poverty, and disrupted livelihoods across the region.
Critics noted that uncompleted road networks have left rural communities cut off from markets, escalating transportation costs and crippling local commerce.
Others pointed out that abandoned drainage and flood-control projects have exposed villages to recurring floods, leaving thousands vulnerable during the rainy season.
Education stakeholders complained that half-finished school buildings have deprived children of safe learning environments, pushing many into overcrowded and dilapidated classrooms.
Health advocates added that abandoned water projects have forced residents to rely on unsafe sources, increasing cases of waterborne diseases.
The Niger Delta Youth Forum, one of the region’s vocal advocacy groups, warned that patience among the people is wearing thin.
The group declared that the continued silence of the commission in the face of widespread complaints was both provocative and dangerous.
According to the forum, the NDDC must immediately provide clear timelines for project completion and demonstrate genuine accountability in the management of funds.
Observers insist that only transparency, political will, and visible action can restore public confidence in the commission’s mandate.
Established in 2000, the NDDC was created to drive development in oil-producing states and mitigate the environmental impact of decades of resource extraction.
However, allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and politicization have repeatedly dogged the commission, weakening its capacity to deliver on promises.
Analysts believe that unless urgent reforms are introduced, the commission risks losing its legitimacy among the very communities it was set up to serve.
So far, the NDDC has yet to issue an official response to the mounting outcry over abandoned projects.