The Niger Delta Development Commission on Wednesday, the 11th of March, 2026, called on youth leaders in Abia State to act as guardians of its projects throughout the state.
At an event titled “Capacity Building Engagement: Community Ownership and Protection of NDDC Projects for Niger Delta Stakeholders” in Aba, Dr Anderson Ukeh, Director of the Abia State Office of NDDC, stated, “We observed that most of our projects have been vandalised.
“It is from the community, the youths. NDDC invited the youths to engage with them so that they would understand that the project belongs to them and have a different mindset.
“We are organising this programme so that they will understand that this project belongs to them and they have to take responsibility for ensuring that these projects are being protected.
“What we learned from them is that they need us to engage them. To be part of this. That is what we are doing. Engaging them so all of us are on the same page. So they will realise and understand that this project belongs to them.”
During his presentation, NDDC facilitator Ikechukwu Okereke highlighted the commission’s concern over the alarming level of vandalism, noting that NDDC currently manages over 19,421 projects across its member states.
“In summary, NDDC wants to achieve a shift in mindsets, especially where it has to do with the community stakeholders.
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“Let us start thinking of the projects that NDDC put in our communities as our own, not theirs. It is only when we have this shift of narratives that we can actually have a culture of protecting the projects,” he explained.
He identified the main threats to NDDC projects, including “national disaster, sabotage, poor projects, usage, neglect, lack of maintenance, insecurity, non-availaBility of supporting elements, insecurity and lack of protection, cultural/religious bias and political, social/cultural conflicts.”
He urged that “Let NDDC projects be community-oriented, not politically oriented.”
Youth representatives from across Abia State engaged with the commission, asking questions and offering suggestions.
They called on NDDC to avoid politicising its projects and to actively involve communities in safeguarding them.