According to the report from the Vanguard, a compelling voice on issues affecting the Niger-Delta region and Nigeria, Ms. Ann-Kio Briggs argued that the Niger Delta region has not received its fair share of development despite contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economy through oil and gas resources.
She noted that while regions like the West and North benefited from their resources such as cocoa and groundnut, the Niger Delta has not experienced the same level of progress.
Briggs questioned the role of a northerner on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board, suggesting that this is an indicator of the region’s lack of control over its own development.
Briggs’ statement highlights the ongoing struggle for equitable distribution of resources and opportunities in Nigeria, particularly for the Niger Delta region, which has faced environmental degradation, socio-economic challenges, and political marginalization.
According to Ann-Kio Briggs, “We had cocoa in the West, they used it to develop themselves. Groundnut was in the North and they used it to develop themselves also. But when it came to oil and gas, they are using it to develop Nigeria except the Niger Delta region. What we are getting is just 13%. Even that 13% is far low because the majority of work that the Niger Delta people were supposed to do in the NDDC is being done by people who are not from the region. Yes, they will say the commission is being run by the people of the region but there is a northerner on the board of the commission. What is he doing there?”