Challenges Facing Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Projects in Imo State and Niger Delta Region in Nigeria
Alphonsus O. Isidiho, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shatar B. Sabran

Abstract
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as an interventionist Commission mandated to pull the Niger Delta Region (NDR) out of the socio-economic, environmental and political problems that have engulfed the region prior to Nigeria’s independence has not been able to perform the expected miracle over the past fifteen years of its establishment, despite the huge amount budgeted and allocated to it yearly by the Federal Government of Nigeria. This assertion has in reality threatened the relevance of the Commission and there have been suggestions for reorganizing and redefining the mission and vision of NDDC so as to reposition it to be more proactive. This paper tried to understand the numerous challenges that have advertently affected the satisfactory performance of the commission and its projects in Ohaji/Egbema, Obowo and Oguta communities in Imo State in particular, and the Niger Delta Region in general since the commission was inaugurated in the year 2000.The sociocultural structure and problems of the region in itself has adversely affected the performance of these project and vice versa. The qualitative data used for this study was extracted from a data collection process involving twenty five randomly selected participants including Chiefs, men leaders, women leaders, youth leaders and some other elites on a face to face interview and nine telephone interviews. The findings shows that the major problems facing the commission’s projects and the region were more on managerial than financial. Corruption, use of incompetent contractors, environmental problems, youth militancy and violence, lack of adequate monitoring and evaluation coupled with misappropriation and mismanagement of funds has been prominent. The paper then suggest complete overhaul of the Commission by appointing Board members and management personnel that are competent and have good track records of achievements and accountability.

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