The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is to set up a bank as part of measures to sustain its mandate beyond oil and fast track development.

The commission has also resolved to connect the region with optic fibre cable herald robust and fast internet connectivity to drive Information Technology.

Mr. Victor Ndoma-Egba, NDDC Chairman, said: “We are working on setting up Niger Delta Development Bank to midwife and sustain the development of the area."

He told the management of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), led by the Managing Director, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, that most big projects in the region should be driven by the bank, which would be handy when oil revenue is depleted.

On the optic fibre project, he explained: “If we fast-guarantee internet connectivity, it will create a new line of development that will generate employment.’’

Ndoma-Egba also explained that the commission would re-create sports for which the region was noted and endowed.

“We want to engage our young men and women competitively,” and explained that it would create peace in the Niger Delta.

“It is regrettable that we are not looking like Dubai or Bahrain with the amount of money we get.

“We are marketing militancy of destruction instead of militancy of development.

“We want to move from destructive militancy to development militancy.

“We want to be more creative in militancy,’’ he vowed.

NDDC was established in the year 2000 to facilitate the rapid development of the oil rich region and presently has a ratio of one staff to 50 projects.

The commission is to ensure the region was economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful. (NAN)

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