On December 1, 2016, I was named Executive Director of PIND. Because of my previous role as Program Director for the last five years,  I know where the organisation is coming from, have clarity of the mission and vision for the future and a good understanding of what it takes to press towards the accomplishment of that mission. I had witnessed PIND’s enormous growth over the past few years, and I plan to continue this good record and continue to foster needed collaborations for PIND to continue to be a boon to development in the Niger Delta region.

I am also bringing to the table a wealth of development experience garnered over the years, a good understanding of the context and people of the Niger Delta, and an extensive network of associates and contacts within the public and private sector that can be leveraged to facilitate our work. The fact that I am also well known within the development sector in the region can be an enabler for new partnerships or strengthening some of the existing ones.

We have seen many organisations where this type of leadership change would either lead to a loss of momentum or a lot of uncertainties about the future, which is not helpful for the morale of the staff and partners. However, our own leadership change was well thought through and the trustees have chosen the path of stability and continuity as opposed to risk-taking. Even so, I come into this office with a lot of fresh perspectives and new impetus. So it is a case of change and continuity proceeding in tandem for the growth of the Foundation.

Though a relatively young organisation, PIND is already punching above its weight. It has developed a reputation for being an organisation that bases its decisions and actions on sound analysis and research. Also, being a partnership initiative, PIND has developed a strong capacity for convening and coordinating stakeholder actions from both the private and public sectors on Niger Delta development. The partnerships that we fostered with the Cross River and Delta State governments are yielding a new mindset shift among government actors and influencing their approaches to development. The 30-year development plan initiative that we are pioneering with the Cross River State Government is becoming a model for our support to State governments. In addition, we both organized and participated in high level dialogues and forums to explore options for shaping a brighter future for the Niger Delta through the Niger Delta Way Forward under the office of the Vice President of Nigeria, the Cassava Summit and more while the annual Niger Delta Development Forum (NDDF) continues to act as a platform for advancing advocacy.

These engagements and our results began to gain us a new reputation in 2016 as many donor-funded projects now recognize the centrality of PIND in sustaining their results in the region, and openly engaged with us to explore how to incorporate PIND into their exit strategies. DFID-funded GEMS 3 project and MADE project are two key examples of projects that are currently building the sustainability of their results around PIND. Also, our effort and accomplishments in 2016 witnessed considerable third-party endorsements by bi-lateral development agencies as many potential new entrants into the Niger Delta’s development ecosystem were referred to PIND to discuss their plans. Many were told “if you have not spoken to PIND, then you are not yet serious about development programming in the Delta”.

We will continue to strengthen our convening and coordination role to attract greater private sector investments and donor funding into the region. Already, PIND is catalysing a lot of resources into the region especially through bilateral agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department for International Development (DFID). Leveraging key resources for innovative projects and programs will be a key priority of my tenure.