The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) has called for stronger collaboration among government institutions and other stakeholders to tackle the complex developmental and security challenges confronting oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.
The Commission’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Festus Ochonogor, made the call on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, when members of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 19 (EIMC 19) of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Ussadam, Bwari, Abuja, visited the Commission’s headquarters in Warri as part of their study tour of government agencies in Delta State.
Ochonogor, who was represented by the Director of Administration and Supplies, Princess Precious Akparobi, said the scale and complexity of challenges in the Niger Delta required institutions to work together, share knowledge and coordinate their interventions.
Akparobi welcomed the delegation and commended the NISS participants for their interest in understanding the activities and intervention programmes of DESOPADEC.
She said the Commission had, over the years, received participants from NISS and other institutions seeking to gain firsthand knowledge of its mandate, operations and development strategies.
According to her, DESOPADEC remains focused on improving the living conditions of people in oil-producing and oil-impacted communities through targeted infrastructure and other development interventions.
“Many of your members have interacted with the Commission in the past, and we are happy about that,” Akparobi said.
“We believe that the knowledge gained will enhance the commitment of the Institute and contribute to the overall development of the country.”
She urged the participants to deploy the knowledge acquired during the study tour in their respective responsibilities, stressing that stronger institutional relationships would benefit DESOPADEC, NISS and the country.
The delegation, comprising participants on the EIMC 19 study tour of DESOPADEC and other government agencies in Delta, also expressed appreciation to the Commission for the opportunity to interact with its officials.
One of the participants, Victor Akpolo, commended DESOPADEC for receiving the team despite the short notice of the visit.
Akpolo said the engagement had given the participants a better understanding of the Commission’s statutory mandate, operations and interventions across oil-producing communities.
“We are happy that the knowledge we have gained has deepened our understanding of what the Commission has been able to achieve and is ready to do more for oil-producing communities in the State,” he said.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for the Commission and the NISS delegation to exchange views on development interventions, institutional responsibilities and the need for effective coordination in addressing the challenges associated with oil-producing communities.
DESOPADEC reiterated its readiness to work with relevant government agencies, security institutions and other stakeholders in developing sustainable solutions to the problems confronting communities within its mandate areas.
The visit ended with the presentation of copies of the DESOPADEC Compendium and the Commission’s Monthly Magazine to members of the delegation by Akparobi.
Other members of the visiting team included Aduke Ogbe, Andre Olatunbosun and Modestus Maduabuchi.