President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to deepening collaboration with state governments to accelerate development, commending Douye Diri for purposeful leadership and effective partnership.
The President gave the assurance during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Bayelsa State Government House Banquet Hall in Yenagoa, stressing that greater progress would be achieved through synergy among all tiers of government.
Tinubu, who arrived at the Bayelsa International Airport where he was received by the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Samuel Ogbuku, alongside other dignitaries including Heineken Lokpobiri and James Ibori, proceeded to inaugurate key infrastructure projects in the state.
The projects commissioned include the 60MW Bayelsa Gas Turbine, the dualised New Yenagoa City Road, the 630-metre Angiama-Oporoma Bridge, and the Sagbama–Ekeremor Road, initially undertaken by the NDDC.
Speaking at the event, Tinubu described the projects as transformative, noting that they would create jobs and boost economic opportunities.
He emphasised the importance of power supply in driving industrialisation and economic growth, assuring Nigerians of improved electricity to support development.
“There can be no industrialisation, skill development and empowerment without power,” the President said, adding that the Independent Power Plant would play a crucial role in the state’s economic expansion.
In his remarks, Governor Diri praised the Federal Government’s policy direction, noting that recent reforms in the power sector had enabled the state to deliver reliable energy through its gas-fired turbines.
He also highlighted the significance of the Angiama-Oporoma Bridge, describing it as a long-overdue project that addresses decades of neglect in one of Nigeria’s major oil-producing areas.
Diri further commended the Federal Government for supporting critical infrastructure, including granting waivers for equipment importation for the power project and approving the second phase of the Nembe-Brass Road.
The visit comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to enhance national security and increase crude oil production, with output targets projected to exceed two million barrels per day.
Top officials of the NDDC, including Executive Director Corporate Services, Ifedayo Abegunde, and Bayelsa State representative on the commission’s board, Dimaro Denyanbofa, were also in attendance at the inauguration and stakeholders’ meeting.