The mandate of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is to facilitate the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta region, while that of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is to investigate financial crimes and put corrupt practices in check.
Given their different roles, the idea of an alliance between the two organisations may seem far-fetched. However, with Samuel Ogbuku (NDDC Managing Director) and Olanikpekun Olukoyede (EFCC Executive Chairman) many say it is not just an idea but a reality.
According to NDDC insiders, the unique collaboration between the NDDC and the EFCC has given rise to the Renewed Hope Multi-Purpose Training Centre, unveiled recently in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
According to the NDDC CEO, the vast training complex was executed with funds recovered on behalf of the Commission by the EFCC.
Ogbuku explained that the Bayelsa training centre was funded through the money recovered by the EFCC and executed under a signed performance bond, ensuring transparency and impact.
Training centre in Otuokpoti, Ogbia LGA, Bayelsa State, built by the NDDC with recovered funds
He noted that the facility represented one of several such centres being constructed in Delta and Rivers states. He said: “We have similar facilities currently under construction in Odi, Bayelsa State, while the ones in Delta State are being built in Patani and Ozorro and another two in Rivers State.”
He observed that the Multi-Purpose Training Centre, which was completed in record time, was a partnership between the EFCC and the NDDC, as the anti-crime agency had recovered the funds that facilitated the project’s execution.
Ogbuku observed that the facility, which could accommodate 1,000 persons, represented a significant step toward empowering local communities through skills development and inclusive growth.
The training centre’s components, which include a school, hospital, cafeteria, police post, and recreational centre, are all designed to support training, healthcare, and emergency accommodation within a single integrated complex.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the EFCC chairman assured the NDDC of the release of more recovered funds in the coming weeks.
Olukoyede described the NDDC as a “renewed and transformed government agency.” He assured that the EFCC would do everything to recover all outstanding statutory contributions due to the NDDC from oil companies.
Olukoyede commended the NDDC for its institutional and policy reforms, declaring that the people of the Niger Delta will have every reason to celebrate the current leadership of the Commission. He described the NDDC as a beacon of good governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said further: “Under this President, NDDC is working; good governance is being delivered. It is my delight to be part of this transformational agenda. The Renewed Hope Agenda is no longer a slogan—it is a reality. For the first time, people are identifying with what NDDC is doing.”
The chairman of the anti-crime agency confessed that his perspective on the NDDC was turned around in 2024 when the NDDC management, led by Ogbuku, paid him a courtesy visit at the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja.
