The Bioresources Development Centre (BDC), Odi, Bayelsa State, established in 2003 to harness biodiversity resources for advancements in agriculture, nutrition, health, and industry in the Niger Delta, is receiving a much-needed revival after years of neglect.
Once a globally acclaimed research and grassroots empowerment hub, the centre had made significant contributions through patented innovations, high-impact scientific publications, and skill development in bio-enterprises. However, the once-vibrant facility became comatose by 2015 despite billions of naira invested in procuring state-of-the-art equipment—many of which are now obsolete or deteriorating due to years of disuse.
A recent visit by Niger Delta Herald revealed renewed efforts to restore the centre to its former glory under the leadership of its new Director and Coordinator, Dr. Wood Timipanipiri, the first Niger Deltan to head the institution since inception.
Dr. Timipanipiri, who conducted our correspondent around the centre, attributed the deterioration of the facility to the cumulative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, devastating floods, and prolonged industrial actions by the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutes (ASURI) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to which the centre’s staff belong.
Despite these setbacks, the new Director expressed strong commitment to reviving the institution and repositioning it as a cornerstone of sustainable development in the region.
> “For over 20 years, we’ve trained individuals across various bio-enterprises. Many of our trainees have gone on to establish thriving ventures of their own,” he said. “We have worked with the Bayelsa State Government, Shell, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), and have signed Memoranda of Understanding with about six to seven universities in the Niger Delta.”
Dr. Timipanipiri emphasized the centre’s key focus areas, which include mushroom production technology, grasscutter farming, aquaculture, **snail farming (