By Tapre Timine, Bayelsa
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has called on the European Union (EU) to reassess its development strategies in the Niger Delta to ensure its interventions make a more visible impact on host communities.
Speaking in Yenagoa on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by the Head of EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, Governor Diri said although the EU had channelled major resources into the region over the years, the benefits had not been strongly felt by ordinary people.
The governor showed readiness to partner with the EU under its Global Gateway strategy to consolidate peace, enhance youth empowerment, and address developmental gaps in Bayelsa.
He recalled previous discussions with the bloc in Abuja on peace-building, security in the Gulf of Guinea, marine economy, and technical education, describing the EU as a grassroots-oriented development partner.
He said: “It is amazing the amount of money the EU has committed to development of the Niger Delta region, particularly in Bayelsa State. But compared with the impact of such projects on communities, I believe the EU needs to look inwards.
“We do not know your processes but I think the impact of such projects would be more seen on communities in Bayelsa and its neighbouring Rivers and Delta states if properly channelled. Likewise, if other development partners toe the path of the EU, the ties would have been stronger.
“There was a period of insecurity due to militancy in the Niger Delta, which was actually in response to the level of under-development against the backdrop of the oil resources that had been taken from our state and region.
“But, this is the time not to engage in violence but in diplomacy. That is why we are ready to keep the peace in our state and region to sustain the development we are witnessing.”
Ambassador Mignot, in his remarks, pointed out the Union’s interventions in the Niger Delta, including a €6.5 million peace-building initiative launched in Bayelsa, Rivers, and Delta states in 2023. The project, implemented by Search for Common Ground, has so far reached 5,000 beneficiaries across 16 communities in Bayelsa’s eight local government areas.
At a state dinner held later that evening, Governor Diri conferred Bayelsa State honorary citizenship on the EU envoy, noting that “a visit to the Niger Delta without a visit to Bayelsa is incomplete.”
Chief of Staff, Government House, Dr. Peter Akpe, also assured that Bayelsa would continue to nurture its collaboration with the European Union.
