PHCCIMA 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS:
Promoting Social Entrepreneurship in the Niger Delta

The Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA) Celebrated her 50th (Golden Jubilee) Anniversary from Wednesday 24th October to Saturday 27th October 2007 at the Atlantic Hall of the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt.

The four day event whose theme was "Promoting Social Entrepreneurship in the Niger Delta" featured paper presentations from nineteen renowned scholars and also brought together, in a collaborative deliberative fora; interest groups, individuals, corporate organisations and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta. The Seminar sessions were purposed towards proffering plausible solutions that would promote a better and conducive environment for businesses and peace in the region and its vicinity.

The Colloquium also assessed the acceptability or otherwise of the economic policies of the current administration and addressed some social and political issues that may affect its implementation. It also showcased the unveiling of the Chamber’s proposed Oil and Gas Park Project.

A communiqué issued by the resources persons put the responsibility of the current happenings in the Niger delta region squarely at the court of the federal government of Nigeria [NNPC] on the one part and her joint venture partners which include SPDC, AGIP and TOTAL/ELF, principally.

The presentations made at the conference confirm a near breakdown of law and order as a result, a seeming revolution of the grossly impoverished and demeaned people of the Niger Delta who incidentally provide about 90% of the resources that run the Nigerian state.

Poor crises management by the use of coercive forces of state and financial inducement of terror groups to silence dissenting voices has exacerbated violence in the past eight years and has not only made the development of cities in the area impossible but has also decreased the intrinsic attributes of some cities like Port Harcourt.

The conference proffered the following solutions as a way forward in solving the Niger Delta problem and a means of developing individual and corporate entrepreneurship in the Niger Delta:

1. The first step in curbing the restiveness in the Niger Delta is to enable the people to hold the local government chairmen and governors accountable for their actions by exercising their rights to vote and be voted for in a free and fair election. Concerted efforts should be made towards the implementation of economic reforms, while ensuring that government allocations are spent on projects that focus on actual needs of the people. This will build confidence for the oppressed and displaced people of the region who live in the midst of poverty, deprivation, devastation, socio-economic, political injustices.
2. Powerful individuals in Government at the federal level who act as godfathers by providing the coercive machinery of state to the local government chairmen and governors to subdue the people of Niger Delta must be checked by enacting the enabling law.
3. Oil multinational conglomerates must as a policy move all their administrative headquarters, fabrication plant, etc to the Niger Delta and stop standby and stay at home chances to encourage sustainable skill acquisition and hard work. Also the people of the oil-bearing communities must be given preference in employment, award of contracts, scholarships and training programmes so that the area can be developed.
4. The National Assembly should abrogate the LAND USE ACT, THE PETROLEUM ACT, THE INL-MID WATER WAY ACT etc.
5. A paradigm shift in project environmental Impact assessment that lay more emphases on socio-economic impact assessment of Oil and Gas developmental projects is advocated.
6. The governments in the Niger Delta states must pursue mass education policy that will engage all the people in both formal and informal education such as training in craft and skills.
7. Establishment of small and medium scale development centers was highly recommended. It must be free from redtapism, managed by the Organised Private Sector (PHCCIMA) in collaboration with other NGOs to render services in areas of business startup, business incubation, financing, research, human resource management, training etc.
8. Similarly, the decision to move valuable assets such as fabrication yards and other important oil and gas production activities by the multinational oil conglomerates and their service companies to Lagos is seen as a conspiracy to further frustrate and impoverish the Niger Delta, more so as the oil and gas that will justify the establishment of the facilities will be obtained eventually from the Niger Delta.
9. Political elites in government who use cult group as foot soldiers to get coverage for their political and economic interest and multinational oil companies who in order to be free from incessant disruption of activities pays these cult and criminal gangs huge sum of money channeled through phony contracts must be sanctioned by Government.
10. For Nigeria to benefit from its competitive advantage in the enormous growth potential existing in oil and gas exploration and production, the Government and oil majors must take the lead in human resources development in the Niger Delta States. In this regard, the efforts of TOTAL/NNPC in financing the IFP/Uniport M.Sc Petroleum Engineering/Project mgt studies are commendable.
11. Promotion of entrepreneurship in the Niger Delta will depend significantly on local entrepreneurs as foreign firms can only create entrepreneurship for their home countries. Therefore Local Content development in the Niger Delta can only be achieved through deliberate and strategic planning involving indigenous firms, through the collaboration of Government and PHCCIMA.
12. Gender Empowerment should be encouraged as a tool for curbing restiveness in the Niger Delta by providing access to financial capital through micro credit to be managed in partnership with PHCCIMA and the State Governments of the Niger Delta States It is believed that by focusing on women, economic empowerment reaches the most disadvantaged sector of the economy.