By Zika Bobby
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has urged the Managing Director of the newly established South South Development Commission (SSDC), Usoro Offiong Akpabio to carry out reforms by putting the region on the global map.
In a statement by the apex regional group’s president, Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, it thanked President Bola Tinubu for the appointment, expressing confidence that the new SSDC boss would not disappoint the nation.
“There is no gainsaying this is a well-deserved appointment. Being the first Managing Director, you have come on the saddle at a most propitious time. We are hopeful that your time as Managing Director, would be one that will be remembered in the annals of history.
“We are confident that you would replicate the same level of resplendence that Mr. President saw before appointing you, and that your time in this new office will be nothing short of reforms that would place the South-South region on the global map,” the statement said.
On May 8, 2025, President Tinubu nominated Miss Usoro Akpabio as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the SSDC.
Her nomination would need to be confirmed by the National Assembly before she assumes office.
Meanwhile, her appointment has positioned her in the forefront to address the developmental challenges facing the Niger Delta region.