By Desmond Ejibas
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has urged contractors and consultants to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for timely project delivery in the nine Niger Delta states.
The states are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.
The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, made the call at the opening of a three-day sensitisation programme on Thursday in Port Harcourt.
Represented by the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Mr Ifedayo Abegunde, Ogbuku said disputes could delay project execution and drive up costs.
He said disagreements could arise during project execution but their timely and professional resolution was critical to successful project delivery.
“Unresolved disputes can delay completion, increase project costs and strain relationships among the NDDC, contractors, consultants and host communities.
“We want our contractors and consultants to understand that they are not merely participants in project execution but are also critical first responders in conflict management,” he said.
Ogbuku said contractors and consultants were often closest to projects, communities and emerging issues, placing them in a strategic position to detect conflicts before they escalate.
He urged stakeholders to develop a culture of early intervention and resolve disagreements before they escalated into crises.
“We should not wait for conflicts to become crises before we act. Let us identify them early, manage them professionally and resolve them effectively,” he said.
The managing director said preventing conflicts, resolving disputes early and delivering projects successfully would contribute to a peaceful, productive and prosperous Niger Delta region.
The NDDC Director, Alternative Dispute Resolution Department, Dr Godwin Ogedegbe, said the programme was aimed at promoting sustainable development.
Ogedegbe said the region’s abundant resources and vibrant communities existed alongside complex social, economic and environmental realities that could generate tensions.
He warned that unmanaged tensions and disputes could undermine projects designed to transform communities across the Niger Delta.
“Conflict sensitivity requires deliberate recognition and understanding of the communities where NDDC operates.
“This is important because early interventions foster inclusion, trust and cooperation rather than create divisions within host communities,” he said.
Ogedegbe explained that ADR provided a structured, efficient and peaceful mechanism for resolving disputes through dialogue, fairness and mutual respect.
He said stakeholders could collectively build a development culture in the Niger Delta anchored on peace, inclusivity and sustainability.
In a keynote, Prof. Isaac Olawale, Dean, Faculty of Multidisciplinary Studies, University of Ibadan, urged contractors and consultants to recognise conflict risks early.
Olawale advised them to choose appropriate ADR processes while keeping projects on course and protecting relationships and public value.
He emphasised that technically sound projects could fail if relationships, expectations and grievances were not properly managed. (NAN)