Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Victor Ndoma-Egba, has disclosed that a development bank would be established by the Federal Government for the region.
Mr Ndoma-Egba made this disclosure at the weekend while addressing State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa after a meeting with the Vice President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo.
According to him, the financial institution, to be known as the Niger Delta Development Bank (NDDB), should commence before the end of 2018.
“We have timelines and we are strictly adhering to the timelines. We believe that by the end of this year, we should take off the ground,” Mr Ndoma-Egba told reporters.
He explained that the bank is to ease project funding in the oil rich region, pointing out that funding NDDC projects had always been problematic due to shortfalls.
“For once, the Federal Government and NDDC are sitting together to reconcile what is due and what is outstanding.
“So, we believe that from the shortfalls, we would be better off funded. But we are also looking beyond the traditional methods of funding the Federal Government’s budget and NDDC budget.
“As you know, we are already working with NDDB that will take over the issue of funding beyond the oil and beyond particular boards,” the former Senator said.
Managing Director of NDDC, Mr Nsima Ekere, who also spoke to newsmen, said the board made a presentation of planned initiative to introduce digital learning in primary and secondary schools in the Niger Delta at the meeting with the Vice President.
“We had interface with state governors because as you know, the schools belong to the state governors with the exception of the private schools. So, they bought into the programme.
“Following the approval of the project, an implementation committee involving the nine states of the Niger Delta, the NDDC, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology, was set up.
“Basically, what we are doing is to try and digitalise learning. All of the traditional textbooks used in primary and secondary schools will be put into digital formats, into tablets that will be distributed to pupils and students in the Niger Delta Region,” he said.
