Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has called on the European Union (EU) to retool its development strategies in the Niger Delta to ensure its interventions have a more visible and lasting impact on local communities.
Diri made the call on Wednesday when he received the Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, at Government House, Yenagoa.
He commended the EU for its significant financial investments in the region but noted that the impact of such projects had not been fully felt at the grassroots.
“It is amazing the amount of money the EU has committed to developing the Niger Delta, particularly in Bayelsa State. But when compared to the impact on our communities, there is a need to look inwards and re-channel these efforts to make them more effective,” Diri said.
He pledged his administration’s readiness to work closely with the EU under its Global Gateway strategy to promote peace, tackle development challenges, and strengthen youth engagement, vocational education, and the marine economy.
Ambassador Mignot said the EU had supported several projects in Nigeria over the decades and launched its Global Gateway cooperation strategy in 2021 to attract more investments in partnership with its 27 member states.
He disclosed that in 2023, the EU committed €6.5 million to peace-building and livelihood projects in Bayelsa, Rivers, and Delta states, benefiting over 5,000 people across 16 communities.
Later at a state dinner, Governor Diri conferred Bayelsa citizenship on the EU envoy, describing the state as “the cradle of the Ijaw nation and the epicenter of the Niger Delta.”
Chief of Staff, Government House, Dr. Peter Akpe, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to sustaining its collaboration with the EU for the region’s development.
