The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) says plans for a Niger Delta investment fund have reached an advanced stage as the group seeks fresh capital for development projects across the region.
PANDEF Chairman, Dr Godknows Igali, said the proposed Niger Delta Infrastructure and Development Fund (NDIDF) would focus on attracting long-term funding from local and international investors.
He described the initiative as a professionally managed platform that would use the capital market to support infrastructure and economic growth.
Niger Delta investment fund to attract fresh capital
Igali said the region had several areas with strong investment potential, including agriculture, fisheries, tourism, maritime activities, manufacturing and technology.
According to him, the proposed fund is intended to move the region away from repeated complaints about underdevelopment towards practical investment and wealth creation.
He said existing government allocations and intervention programmes had not produced the level of transformation required in the Niger Delta.
Igali argued that the region needed new ways to raise additional funds for viable projects.
PANDEF outlines fund structure
The PANDEF chairman said the Niger Delta investment fund would operate as a blended-finance platform.
It would seek funding from people living in the Niger Delta, multinational companies, members of the diaspora and investors in the capital market.
Igali said funds would be channelled into major projects selected through a transparent and properly validated process.
The proposed fund would also complement existing development institutions in the region.
He explained that the NDIDF would be established through a trust deed, with its governance structure involving state governments, private-sector representatives and professional fund managers.
The appointments, he added, would be made on a non-partisan basis.
Stakeholders consulted over proposal
Igali said PANDEF had already held discussions with private-sector stakeholders and members of the Niger Delta diaspora.
The group has also presented the proposal to the South-South Governors’ Forum and plans to continue consultations with other relevant stakeholders.
He stressed that PANDEF would play a strategic and facilitative role rather than manage the fund’s day-to-day operations.
Igali said the initiative was designed to create a structured way of attracting investment and financing projects capable of driving long-term development across the Niger Delta.
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