The Federal Government yesterday promised to complete about 9,000 projects lying fallow in the Niger Delta region.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswil Akpabio who briefed State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa Abuja.

Senator Akpabio said that the approval to complete the abandoned projects, construction of nine housing estate as well as building one skill acquisition Centre in each of the states under the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, was given by the council.

He disclosed that work on the skill acquisition centre’s was 90 percent completed.

He said that the Niger Delta ministry was engaging the communities in the region to ensure safety of lives and property as well as development of the area.

The Minister further said that the ministry was making frantic efforts to positioning the NDDC to focuse on legacy projects in order to leave behind legacy in the region.

Senator Akpabio said that about 1600 people from the region have been empowered

He said, “We briefed the Council today on the number of people that are so far been empowered in the 100 days. About 1600 people have been empowered. And some of them with different skills through the skill acquisition program and we are building one skills acquisition Centre one per state in the Niger Delta.

“Many of them are at 80,90 percent stage of completion. It encompasses about 88 units, so it’s almost like a technical college with accommodation and other facilities.

We are also doing what we call nine estates in the Niger Delta region from the ministry perspective to also add value to the available housing of the Federal government policy

” We are also positioning the NDDC to focus on legacy projects to leave behind something for the Niger Deltans.

“We also hope to complete the over 9000 projects that are lying fallow in the Niger Delta region for the benefit of the people, that will not only add value to the system but will also ensure that the post amnesty ERA will bring about the industrialization and also create jobs opportunities for the people.

“We talked also about what is going in terms of remediation aside the Ogoni Clean-Up. The Ministry is alse engaged in remediation, we are trying to recover the soil that had been lost due to oil pollution and exploration.”