By Davies Iheamnachor

PORT HARCOURT: The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has tasked its contractors and consultants to ensure early identification and resolution of all forms of conflict that arise in projects execution before they escalate into crisis.

The commission said the call was to ensure completion of its projects in line with specifications and in record time for the benefits of the receiving communities, the NDDC and the contractors.

The Executive Director, Corporate Services, EDCS, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, gave this task in Port Harcourt during a 3-Day Sensitisation Programme of Conflict and Alternative Dispute Resolution for NDDC Contrators and Consultants tagged “Enhancing Capacity for Alternative Dispute Resolution: Application in Project Execution for Sustainable Development in Niger Delta.”

Abegunde, who represented the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, noted that in the course of implementing projects that issues arise that threaten to hamper the execution, noting that what mattered was how quickly such conflicts were resolved.

He said: “In the course of implementing projects, disagreements sometimes arise over payment, variations, designs, timelines, quality of work, measurements, access to sites, contractual obligations and relationships with host communities. What matters is how quickly and professionally such disagreements are identified and managed.

“For the NDDC, this is particularly important because every project represents more than a contract. Behind every road is a community waiting for access. Behind every bridge is an economic opportunity.

“Behind every school, health facility or other intervention is a human need. When conflict stalls a project, the cost is therefore not limited to the contractor or the Commission. The real cost is borne by the people who are waiting for development.”

Ogedegbe said late resolution of conflicts might lead to delays in the delivery of projects, urging the development partenrs to be active participants in conflict resolution.

“For a development institution such as NDDC, such consequences can translate into delayed completion, increased project costs, strained relationships with contractors and communities, litigation and claims, loss of valuable time and, most importantly, delayed development for the people of the Niger Delta.

“We want our contractors and consultants to understand that you are not merely participants in project execution; you are also critical first responders in conflict management.

“The Commission believes that strengthening the ADR capacity of its contractors and consultants will strengthen project delivery itself.

“Let us build a culture where we do not wait for conflicts to become crises before we act. Let us identify them early, manage them professionally and resolve them constructively.”

However, the Director, Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR, Department, Godwin Ayewumi Ogedegbe, PhD, noted that the programme was convened at a time when the people were in collective pursuit for sustainable development.

Ogedegbe said the region with its rich resources and vibrant communitie has been where the complexities of social, economic and environmental realities often gave rise to tensions and disputes.

He noted that if conflicts are left unmanaged it could undermine the very projects designed to uplift and transform the region.

He said: “It is within this context that the role of Conflict Sensitivity and Alternative Dispute Resolution Application becomes indispensable. Conflict sensitivity requires us to be deliberate in recognising the dynamics of the communities where we operate, ensuring that our interventions do not inadvertently exacerbate divisions but instead foster inclusion, trust and cooperation.

“ADR, on the other hand, provides us with structured, efficient and peaceful mechanisms to resolve disputes as mechanisms that prioritize dialogue, fairness and mutual respect over confrontation and litigation.”

Ogedegbe said the ability of the contractors to integrate conflict-sensitive approaches and ADR frameworks into project execution would determine not only the success of individual project, but also the sustainability of development in the Niger Delta as a whole.

Meanwhile, in his Keynote Presentation titled Conflict Sensitivity and ADR Application in Project Execution for Sustainable Development in Niger Delta,” Prof. Isaacs Albert, of the Institute of Prace abd Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, said unmanaged conflict raises costs, disrupts access, weakens quality and erodes legitimacy.