The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has given kudos to city chambers of commerce for cooperation with the newly established Niger Delta Chamber of Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture NDCCITMA.
Speaking during the NDCCITMA sensitisation programme in Benin, Edo State, the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Sir Victor Antai, described the support from the various chambers as a catalyst that would further help develop small-scale businesses in the region. According to a statement by Seledi Thompson-Wakama Director, Corporate Affairs said Antai, was represented by the NDDC Director of Commercial and Industrial Development, Dr. Godwin Nosiri, stated that the sensitisation programme held in eight states of the Niger Delta region had received messages of cooperation and collaboration from stakeholders and City Chambers operating in the Niger Delta region.
He said: “It has been a success story in all the states we have visited. The chairmen or presidents of city chambers of commerce in states visited and other stakeholders have been presenting their goodwill messages and also expressing their willingness to collaborate and partner with NDCCITMA,
“The turn-out of participants for the workshop has also been encouraging, and we know that with what we have seen so far, with the cooperation between the newly established NDCCITMA and the City Chambers of Commerce, there will be growth in businesses among operators, leading to employment and food security in the region. ” He called on the people to have confidence in the programme, adding that members of the NDCCITMA board have been carefully selected across the nine states of the region to drive the dreams and aspirations of the Commission to all nooks and crannies of the Niger Delta.
He commended the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Samuel Ogbuku, for his visionary leadership and commitment to the region’s development.
The Secretary of NDCCITMA, Chief Solomon Edebiri, said the idea behind the formation of the NDCCITMA was to accelerate the vision of NDDC to develop businesses in the region from zero level to a sustainable level. “The idea behind the establishment of NDCCITMA is to help small businesses to grow and the informal sector to thrive. The chamber of commerce will also stand in the gap in enabling small-scale businesses and entrepreneurs to access loans from financial institutions.”