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“South-South Development Commission Convenes Inaugural Meeting, Unveils Vision for Regional Transformation

Published

1 month ago

September 5, 2025

Joel Ajayi

The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has held its inaugural board meeting in Abuja, charting a bold course for the sustainable development and economic empowerment of the region.

The Chairman of the SSDC Board, Rt. Hon. Prince Chibudom Nwuche, OFR, and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ms Usoro Akpabio briefed newsmen after the meeting, outlining a governance framework built on integrity, collaboration, and urgent action.

The meeting brought together the newly inaugurated board members of the commission, following its establishment by an Act of the National Assembly assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The board chairman, Rt. Hon. Nwuche, declared the commission “open for business and committed to delivering on its profound mandate, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”

He described the SSDC as a historic and strategic intervention by the President to tackle the region’s challenges in a sustainable manner, stating that its success hinges on impeccable governance and collective effort.

Nwuche laid out an uncompromising vision for transparency and accountability. “We must be the reference point for governance and transparency in Nigeria. We should be able to leave behind a functional, efficient, and replicable model of governance that will outlive our tenure,” he stated.

He underscored the constitutional code of conduct for public officers, urging board members to avoid any conflict of interest and to place public interest above self. “Our lifestyle must be moderated, as most of the people we are called to serve are living in penury. We should live by example,” he advised, adding that the key word for the board must be “We” and not “I”.

The Managing Director of the SSDC, Ms Usoro Akpabio articulated an ambitious “One Region” development agenda, focused on integrated projects that transcend state boundaries to deliver shared prosperity.

“When we look at the South-South, we do not just see projects; we see movements. We see bold ideas taking shape, industries evolving, communities thriving, and a region boldly stepping into its full potential,” the MD stated.

The MD identified infrastructure, industrialisation, and digital innovation as critical pillars for transformation. “Technology is not just a tool, it is the great equalizer. We are embracing digital transformation as a strategic pillar for development,” he said, outlining plans to establish innovation hubs, support tech-driven SMEs, and integrate ICT across education, healthcare, and commerce.

“Our youths are digital natives. With the right platforms and tools, they can lead a new wave of innovation that puts the South-South on the map, not just as a consumer of technology, but as a producer and exporter of ideas.”

Usoro also pledged to champion the Blue Economy, Arts, Culture, and Tourism as vital economic levers for the region, concluding with a call to action: “The future of the South-South is not a distant dream, it is here, and it is ours to shape.”

Both leaders urged state governments, private sector leaders, traditional institutions, and the people of the South-South to support the commission’s vision, stressing that its success depends on collective ownership and partnership.

Members of the SSDC Board include; Chairman: Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche (Rivers State), Managing Director: Usoro Offiong Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) Larry Odey (Cross River), Charles Zuofa (Bayelsa), Dr. Nkereuwem Ebong (Akwa Ibom), Chika Chinedu (Rivers), Femi Oise (Edo), Dr. Charles Sylvester Enukhowhate (Delta), Tijani Yahaya Kaura (North-West), Tabitha Iliya Sallah (North-East), Alh. Yusuf Rasaq Amao (North-Central), Joseph Mmama (South-East), Bukonola Braimoh (South-West)

The Executive Directors are: Marcus Nie Eji – Projects (Rivers), Aganaba Preye Steven – Social & Human Capital Development (Bayelsa), Dr. Timi Alari Ayibatonye – Corporate Services (Delta), Joseph Ugheoke – Commercial & Environmental Development (Edo), Amb. Sony Abang – Finance (Cross River)

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Tin City Warms Up for President Tinubu as North Central Embraces Renewed Hope

Published

1 day ago

October 4, 2025

The Gleamer

By Sunday Dare

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu berths on the plains and rolling hills that dominate the Jos landscape tomorrow, he will meet a people resourceful, friendly and resilient but weighed down by conflict, yet unbowed by adversity.

So, tommorrow, national attention turns to the Plateau- a locale laden with history and rich with potential. From the tin mines that gave the city of Jos its name, to the Irish potato, strawberry farms and beetroot plantations that dot its landscape, Jos remains a land of promise—truly the Home of Peace and Tourism.

Jos is also deeply woven into Nigeria’s political history. Plateau is home to towering figures such as Generals JD Gomwalk, Yakubu Gowon, John Shagaya, Joshua Dogoyaro, and Jerry Useni. Solomon Lar, Senator Ibrahim Mantu and numerous others also stand tall in the annals Plateau political history.

Jos was also the rallying ground of the famed Langtang Mafia—a group of influential military officers from Langtang in Plateau State who, at the height of their power, played a significant role in Nigeria’s political and military affairs.

The story of Jos is both exciting and excruciating. The city lost its innocence some two and a half decades ago, when the popular Terminus Market was reduced to rubble through acts of arson and looting.

Thus at the turn of the millennium by 2001, Jos—and by extension, Plateau—was thrown into a cycle of unending conflict. Ethnic tensions, clothed in religious garb, tore through the city and spread across the state, dragging Jos into an abyss of violence, almost of Kigali proportions. Peace gave way to war, and tourism jaunts became undertakings to the undertaker.

Yet Jos has never surrendered. Every time it is written off, it rises again—scarred, but resilient. With its multi-ethnic, multi-religious fabric, the Plateau continues to trudge on in pursuit of peace, development, and egalitarian ideals.

It was here, in Jos, that Nigeria’s democratic resurgence was birthed. The historic SDP convention, where late General Shehu Yar’Adua and Chief Moshood Abiola held sway, took place in this city. Jos gave political life to Abiola, our hero of democracy in 1992

Now, thirty three years later, another hero of democracy and of the June 12 struggle returns to the Plateau. President Tinubu’s return and visit to Plateau State is not just to honor the transition to glory of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, the mother of the APC National Chairman.

It is a visit that carries deeper meaning—one of empathy, solidarity, and renewed hope for a people who have endured decades of turmoil. It is a mission to preach peace, console the bereaved, bind wounds, and assure Plateau of its central place in the Nigerian project.

Mr President comes not just to mourn, but to reconnect. He comes to parley with the North Central, to commiserate with a people who have suffered, and to extend the hand of renewed hope. That Renewed Hope is laying a solid foundation as evidenced by Naira at N1,455 per dollar, rising Foreign Reserves at $43bn, Trade surplus heading for N25tr. Revenues up 411% and Inflation down to about 20 per cent. Over 600,000 students benefiting from NELFUND.

This visit is more than ceremonial. It is a journey into the very soul of a people who have known pain, yet remain resilient; a land scarred by conflict, yet still brimming with hope and promise. As the Tin City opens its arms, Jos will not just receive the President—it will receive a message of solidarity, healing, and renewal.

Tomorrow is about remembering the glorious past, confronting the present, and charting a path to a peaceful and prosperous Plateau within a united Nigeria. With President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Jos once again stands at the intersection of history and destiny.

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