Crude oil production has risen steadily in the past one year and has stabilized around two million barrels per day which has in turn led to Nigeria’s exit from economic recession.
According to the Downstream View, the rise in oil production could be directly attributed to reduced restiveness in the oil rich Niger Delta as a result of several peace moves by the Federal Government.
Mindful of this and also determined to entrench permanent peace in the region, the government through the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has in the past few weeks initiated close interactions with communities in the region.
One of those dialogues took officials of the ministry to the sleepy village of Ulemon, Eyekoba, close to Benin City, the capital of Edo State where community leaders, women groups, youth groups, civil society organisations and state government representatives engaged with federal government officials.
In his keynote address at the meeting, the Minister of State, Niger Delta Affairs, Professor Claudius Daramola reiterated government’s determination to engage Niger Delta stakeholders through continuous dialogues for sustained security, peace and development of the region in particular and the country in general.
Daramola who was represented by the Director of Press in the Ministry, Mr. Marshall Gundu said the dialogue was designed to enlighten the populace on government programmes, projects and policies geared toward securing and developing the Niger Delta region on a sustainable basis. “It also serves as a feedback mechanism for the ministry and our key stakeholders,” he added.
Daramola noted that various Federal Government’s strategies targeted at maintenance of peace and order in the oil rich region tend to achieve more when stakeholders are adequately sensitized about government programmes with the current increase in Nigeria’s oil production capacity as a good example.
Nigeria’s oil production capacity has grown in the past one year to about 1.8 million barrels per day following relative peace in the Niger Delta region.
The Minister reiterated government determination to engage Niger Delta stakeholders through continuous dialogues for sustained security, peace and development of the Niger Delta region and the country.
Professor Daramola also added that the dialogue strategy has the capability to mitigate some hydra-headed agitations that keep re-occurring in some communities within the region.
The minister said that the goal of government was to create a conducive atmosphere for investments, stability and socio-economic well-being of the Niger Delta region.
