Emmanuel Masha 
The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has called for a community-driven approach to socio-economic development in Nigeria to better address the genuine needs of citizens.
Speaking on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) led by its Executive Secretary, Dr. George-Kelly Dakorinama Alabo, at Government House in Port Harcourt, Ibas emphasized the need to end the practice of imposing projects on communities.
He noted that many development initiatives fail to reflect local priorities, thereby limiting their impact. “Some of these projects are imposed without proper consultation and do not address the core needs of the people,” he said.
The retired naval chief stressed the importance of aligning government and donor interventions with actual community needs to ensure sustainable development and measurable outcomes.
“I believe this country is so well-endowed and rich enough to achieve equitable development for all. We have numerous development agencies and international partners supporting our growth. However, one key challenge remains, the lack of coordination in delivering development based on the people’s needs,” he stated.
While commending the BCDA’s efforts, Ibas called for greater synergy among development agencies and donor organizations. He also advocated for the inclusion of neglected communities beyond Nigeria’s immediate border areas in national development plans.
He expressed strong support for the BCDA’s 69 projects planned for Rivers State in 2025, which include 43 constituency projects and 26 core capital initiatives. He pledged the state government’s support and promised to provide office space for the agency’s South-South Zonal Office.
In his remarks, Dr. Alabo explained that the projects were selected through a nationwide needs assessment targeting both land and maritime border communities. He highlighted key intervention areas such as water supply, education, healthcare, agriculture, power, and social services, particularly for underserved regions not connected to the national grid.
Dr. Alabo revealed that more than 26 million Nigerians live in border communities across 21 states and 105 Local Government Areas. He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for significantly increasing the BCDA’s funding, noting that allocations have risen tenfold, enabling the agency to scale up its impact.
He also appealed for a permanent BCDA office in Rivers State to enhance service delivery across the South-South region.
