By Olayinka Latona

Staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have been urged to embrace accountability, integrity, and regulatory compliance to enable the Commission to deliver effectively on its mandate in the Niger Delta region.

The call was made during a three-day capacity-building retreat and masterclass for staff of the Office of the Executive Director, Corporate Services, and the Corporate Governance and Due Process Department. The event, held in Lagos, had the theme “Regulatory and Compliance Trends, Ethics, and Risk in Public Service.”

In his opening address, Executive Director, Corporate Services, NDDC, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, said the theme reflected a necessary shift in the Commission’s operational mindset.

“Our goal is not just to respond to change—but to lead it,” Abegunde said. He added that the retreat was designed to sustain human capital development, encourage strategic reflection, and foster innovation in aligning corporate services with the Commission’s overall mandate.

He emphasized that the programme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes innovation, transparency, and performance-driven culture in public institutions.

A resource person, Seyi Olulade, Managing Partner of The Impeccable Skills Company, in her presentation titled “Innovating Corporate Services for Impact: Building a Regenerative Legacy,” urged NDDC personnel to lead, work, and care differently in order to build enduring institutions.

“The future of governance will not be led by those who know the rules best, but by those who know how to renew them,” Olulade stated. “Our work is not to repeat what was, but to reimagine what can be—that is how legacy is built.”

She further challenged the Commission to recalibrate its strategies to position itself for the next 25 years.

Another speaker, Dr. Abiodun Ashad of the Department of Public Administration, Lagos State University, who delivered a lecture on “Ethics and the Need for Regulatory Compliance for Effective Public Service,” described ethics as the foundation of efficient service delivery.

He identified accountability, transparency, and professionalism as essential values that build public trust and strengthen democracy.

“The future of Nigeria’s public service will not be defined by the brilliance of our policies alone, but by the character of those who implement them,” Dr. Ashad said. “Every time a public servant chooses integrity over corruption, accountability over impunity, and service over self-interest, the nation takes a step forward.”

The retreat was jointly facilitated by Peace and Development Projects (PEDEP) and MARG Education International.