The politics of oil and the Niger Delta regional development master plan: Its workability and the option of political goodwill

Abstract

Apart from the execution of the Quick Impact Projects (QIP) to kick- start the efforts at ensuring
sustainable Development in the Niger Delta Region, the Act establishing the NDDC, also mandated the
Commission to evolve a comprehensive Regional Development Master Plan that will involve the
contributions of all stakeholders. This will ensure their accepting responsibility in case of failure to meet
sustainable development requirement by the year 2020. This paper is an ambitious attempt to ensure
that this master plan umpired by NDDC does not fail, like many other development plans which did not
achieve their goals. We have critically examined the inputs of the plan and arrived at some suggestions
as to how it can be successfully implemented. Thus, the critical option of political goodwill with its
actionable variants in advocacy for good governance, stakeholders synergy for implementation and a
legal framework to guide the implementation of the plan.