NDDC headquarters, Harold Dappa Biriye House, Port Harcourt

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) awarded a total of 8,557 infrastructure development projects valued at N2.4 trillion between 2001and March 18, a report says.

This is contained in the 2016 first quarterly report of the commission by its Acting Managing Director, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, in Abuja on Monday.

The report said that 3,454 projects worth N441 billion were completed out of the total number of contracts awarded within the period.

It said that the projects were awarded in the areas of roads, bridges, jetty and shore protection, canalisation and reclamation, electricity and power, water and buildings, food control and equipping and furnishing.

“Of the total number of infrastructure projects awarded, about 250 are regarded as mega projects, that is projects with cost ranging from N500 million to N24 billion.

“There are 2,257 ongoing projects totalling N1.2 trillion in value, while 292 others worth N81 billion were either stalled or abandoned.

“During the period under review, the commission terminated a total number of 49 projects valued at N1.9 billion.

“Other agencies of government took over 29 projects with a total contract sum of N16 billion from the NDDC,’’ the report said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the NDDC was established under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000.

Its mandate includes facilitating the rapid, even and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into an economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful region. (NAN)