The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced a significant investment in legal studies within the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, recognizing the potential of legal advocacy to address the complex challenges facing the area and develop innovative solutions.
At the opening ceremony of the 2025 NDDC Annual Moot and Mock Trial Competition for Law Faculties in universities across the Niger Delta, NDDC Managing Director Samuel Ogbuku emphasized the importance of legal education in promoting regional development.
Represented by Executive Director Boma Iyaye, Ogbuku highlighted the NDDC’s commitment to supporting education in the region through initiatives like the Moot and Mock Trial competition. The competition, which coincides with the NDDC’s 25th anniversary, aims to empower law students with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle the unique challenges of the Niger Delta.
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Ogbuku stated that the NDDC believes legal advocacy can play a crucial role in highlighting the challenges confronting the Niger Delta region and could proffer creative solutions to these challenges. He reaffirmed the NDDC’s commitment to playing strategic roles in the development of education, which he believes is essential for sustainable development, capacity building, poverty reduction, and the eradication of violence and crime in the region.
He encouraged the participants to engage in constructive and intellectually stimulating arguments that highlight the region’s specific issues and propose solutions that could influence future law-making and promote even, rapid, and sustainable development.
Acting Director of Legal Services of the NDDC, Victor Arenyeka, emphasized the importance of moot court and mock trial competitions in legal education. He noted that the competition is designed to simulate legal issues relevant to the Niger Delta region, such as environmental law, oil and gas law, sustainable development, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) considerations.
The competition is expected to feature approximately 20 universities from across the region and promises to be larger and more competitive than the previous year’s event.
This investment in legal education underscores the NDDC’s commitment to empowering future legal professionals to contribute to the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region.
