Diri Urges EU To Boost Project Impact In Niger Delta

By AUGUSTINA McSOLOMON-OGHAKPERUO

BAYELSA State Governor, Douye Diri, has urged the European Union (EU) to reassess its interventions in the Niger Delta to ensure projects deliver more tangible benefits to local communities.

Diri made the appeal on Thursday in Yenagoa during a visit by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot. He acknowledged the EU’s significant investments in the region but said the impact on communities in Bayelsa, Rivers, and Delta states remained limited.

“The EU has committed huge resources to this region, but the benefits are barely felt at the grassroots. If properly channelled, these initiatives would make a real difference,” he said.

The governor pledged to partner with the EU under its Global Gateway strategy to sustain peace and drive development in the region. He highlighted priorities such as youth empowerment, vocational training, and marine economy opportunities, stressing diplomacy over militancy in addressing Niger Delta grievances.

Ambassador Mignot noted that the EU recently launched €6.5 million peace-building and livelihood projects in Bayelsa, Rivers, and Delta, reaching over 5,000 beneficiaries. He said his visit was to assess progress across 16 communities in Bayelsa’s eight local governments.

At a state dinner later that day, Governor Diri conferred Bayelsa citizenship on Mignot, describing the state as “the cradle of the Ijaw nation and the epicenter of the Niger Delta.”