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Why Niger Delta Region is Achieving Peace and Progress

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Niger Delta Region NDDC

By Jerome-Mario Utomi

Many years ago, a certain sage within the religious circle was asked to name the three most important virtues to mankind, and he thus responded; the first is humility, the second is humility and the third is humility. This, according to him is because it is through humility that every other virtue emerges. For without humility, every other virtue will lose its meaning.

In like manner, if I am asked to mention three factors responsible for the sustained peace and progress presently enjoyed in the Niger Delta region, I need not pause to figure out that the three factors are; leadership, leadership and leadership.

Before delving into details of how leadership is rewriting the narrative of the region, it is always important, at least for the benefit of the readers, to highlight the region’s condition before now.

Aside from being perceived as a backward and degraded region, occasioned by crude oil exploration, exploitation and production, the Niger Delta region before now was considered a location where fierce war raged between ethnic and social forces in Nigeria over the ownership and control of oil resources. As a direct result, a long dark shadow was cast on efforts to improve the well-being and economic development of the region’s individuals, peoples, and communities.

To curb the scenario, the Federal Government in the year 2000 established the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as a response to the social and economic crisis in the Niger Delta. It was conceived as an organization with the capacity to articulate the developmental needs of the Niger Delta and draw up a master plan for economic and social development in the region. This is evident in the agency’s mission and vision statement. It expresses its mission as “to facilitate the rapid, even and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful.” The vision of the agency is “to offer a lasting solution to the socio-economic difficulties of the Niger Delta region.” The strategy for accomplishing its mission includes the preparation and implementation of a master plan.

But contrary to the expectation of bringing coordinated development, the agency for many years, through protracted rancorous relationships that at different times and places existed between the members of the governing boards and managements, became a clog to achieving its statutory objective and brought to a halt the wheels of development of the region.

This ugly “culture” affected the region’s peace and development because as the saying goes, ‘’when two elephants fight, the grass suffers’’.

The situation was so bad that analysts described NDDC as a temporary political configuration set up by the federal government with neither the capacity to ease the tension in the area nor provide concrete solutions to the socio-economic and infrastructural challenges that bedevilled the region. That argument and perception lasted for an appreciable period of time.

However, today, there is a change in narrative as squabbles within the commission have become a thing of the past. The NDDC may not have reached where it is supposed to be, but in the last ten months, it has moved far from where it used to be and the people of the region feel and appreciate this rising hope.

The emergence of Mr Chiedu Ebie-led governing board and management has without doubt fought and defeated the menace of division which used to characterize the Commission’s governing board and management. They were intentional in unravelling subterfuges and impediments placed on the Commission’s part to peace and from the beginning, resolved to put to rest the ghost of this notorious malady. Today, an unprecedented peace and cordial relationship exists between the governing board and management.

Undoubtedly, it may be convenient for some to argue that the present peace and ongoing development flows from luck and, therefore, see nothing spectacular or newsy about it. But for Niger Deltans of goodwill with critical minds and interests, it goes beyond luck to include the art and science of the present leadership monitoring and analysing past trends, understanding how such occurrences set the stage for past failures and avoiding similar mistakes, recognizing the strategic importance of stakeholders and implementing planned programmes and mutually reinforcing action for the benefit of NDDC as a Commission and Niger Delta region and its people.

Supporting the above assertion was the declaration during the inauguration of the NDDC board in November 2023, at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development in Abuja where the Chairman of the board, Chiedu Ebie among other remarks, stressed the need for collaboration with all stakeholders in driving the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for Nigeria and the Niger Delta region in particular.

He stated: “To maintain focus on our development efforts, the Board will honour and collaborate with critical stakeholders in the region. We will execute legacy projects based on detailed needs assessment. Furthermore, we will seek strategic collaborations and partnerships with opinion leaders, community leaders, professionals and development partners to leverage constructive and attainable outlooks.”.

The NDDC chairman remarked that effective communication with key stakeholders was paramount in the discharge of the Commission’s duties, noting that it would foster trust, restore transparency and promote accountability. Ebie affirmed: “The board will stand on the pedestal of Mr. President’s Renewed Hope mantra. We will look back at the vision and history of NDDC’s 23-year existential journey, aligning it with current realities and the objectives of the current administration.

“In tandem with the Presidency, National Assembly and Ministry of Niger Delta Development, we will take coordinated steps to come up with plans that will systematically guide our actions and efforts in actualizing our mandate. “We earnestly seek the support and goodwill of stakeholders and people of the Niger Delta Region to enable us to usher in a new era of vitality, hope, peace and sustainable development for the region.” He concluded.

Providing a level playing ground for all Niger Deltans to opportunities irrespective of tribe, sex, creed, social or political status, is another sterling example of how the present leadership and management of the Commission is promoting peace and attracting development.

Take as an illustration, speaking recently in Port Harcourt, during the launch of the second phase of Holistic Opportunities Programmes for Engagement, Project HOPE, which has registered 3.2million youths, the Commission’s Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku reportedly said “Over the years what has been happening is that because of political interests, people are given slots to nominate participants for empowerment programmes and most of these participants never had passion for these training programmes. After the training programmes, you see people selling off the starter packs and other equipment that were given to them after the training.

“In this case, we believe that once we pick you from the data based on your area of interest and passion, you are going to excel from there. And since you are in our database, we will also have our monitoring process to track your performance.”

While noting that the second phase is the implementation phase of eight meticulously designed programmes aimed at creating jobs and empowering our youth across various sectors such as agriculture and technology, he noted that the success of Project HOPE requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders and therefore encouraged the Niger Delta youths to embrace the opportunities with zeal and determination’’.

This piece holds the opinion that there is no way peace and development will not flourish in any environment where people with development mindsets like members of the NDDC governing board and management are in charge. The present NDDC governing board and management have truly strengthened the belief and in the past ten months demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that leadership is everything just as ‘’everything rises and falls on Leadership’’. For me, what they need is our collective support and not distractions.

Jerome-Mario Utomi, a media professional writes from Lagos, Nigeria. He can be reached via [email protected]/08032725374

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Leveraging Kendrick Lamar Blueprint: How African Artists & Brands Can Maximize Global PR Impact

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Kendrick Lamar Blueprint

By Philip Odiakose

If you followed, watched, or were live at the Super Bowl you will agree with me that Kendrick Lamar’s presence at the Super Bowl was not just another high-profile performance; it was a masterclass in media influence, narrative control, and cultural imprinting. His ability to spark conversations, drive digital engagement, and shape public discourse proves the power of deliberate strategic media positioning. Through the lens of media intelligence and PR measurement, we can dissect how African artists and brands can replicate this effect to elevate their global presence. Beyond the entertainment factor, Lamar’s performance provided key lessons in media reach, sentiment shifts, and strategic PR execution—areas that African PR professionals and communicators must internalize to maximize value from major events.

PR measurement data from the event shows a surge in Lamar-related conversations across digital and traditional media. His name dominated print, web, and social trends, appearing in over 1.2 million posts within 24 hours, with a sentiment distribution leaning 67% positive, 21% neutral, and 12% negative. The performance’s impact was amplified by major media outlets covering the event in North America and Europe, as well as select African countries, particularly Nigeria and South Africa. This media traction is a testament to the significance of strategic placements, showing how a single moment can redefine public perception and commercial value. For African artists and brands, the ability to secure a presence at major global events must be seen as more than a mere appearance—it is a PR opportunity that must be measured, optimized, and aligned with long-term communication objectives.

One of the biggest takeaways from Lamar’s Super Bowl presence is the deliberate storytelling approach. He was not just performing; he was communicating a narrative. African artists and brands must be intentional about their messaging when engaging global platforms. Media intelligence specialists can help track how narratives evolve, what themes resonate with audiences, and how to pivot when necessary. Sentiment analysis also plays a crucial role, revealing how different audience segments react and allowing for swift reputation management. Many African brands struggle with post-event PR impact analysis, often focusing solely on momentary buzz without extracting long-term insights from media data.

The concept of “The Kendrick Lamar Effect” speaks to leveraging credibility, cultural influence, and performance metrics to sustain media momentum beyond a single event. African PR professionals must learn from this by ensuring that every global engagement translates into measurable brand equity. This means that artists, influencers, and corporate brands must work with media intelligence teams to quantify their impact, benchmark against industry standards, and ensure PR campaigns are not just reactive but proactive. The challenge many African entities face is the lack of structured measurement frameworks that tie media exposure to business or career objectives. This knowledge gap is where PR measurement must step in to bridge the disconnect.

A vital lesson from Lamar’s Super Bowl impact is the role of multi-channel amplification. The performance itself was one layer, but the true media influence was built through post-event interviews, media engagement, and collaborative content syndication. African PR teams must adopt an omnichannel approach to PR execution, ensuring that media exposure is not short-lived. This requires a strategic mix of traditional media placements, influencer partnerships, and digital storytelling. In PR measurement, it is crucial to analyze which media channels drive the highest engagement and conversion rates, ensuring that communication strategies are data-driven rather than intuition-based.

Looking at case studies from both African and global perspectives, we have seen how the absence of media intelligence has led to missed opportunities. Burna Boy’s Coachella moment, for instance, was a landmark global exposure, yet the post-event PR lacked the necessary follow-through in structured PR measurement. In contrast, brands like Nike and Pepsi have perfected the art of extending media relevance beyond an event moment by employing predictive analytics, sentiment tracking, and engagement mapping. This difference in execution is a key area where African PR professionals must evolve—ensuring that global opportunities do not just end with event visibility but translate into long-term influence and business value.

Beyond just media coverage, there is also the crucial aspect of audience behavior analysis. Lamar’s performance was not just about numbers; it was about how his audience engaged, shared, and created conversations. African PR professionals must shift from vanity metrics to behavioral metrics, focusing on how audience perception changes post-event. Did the media narrative drive new brand partnerships? Was there an uptick in music streaming or product purchases? These are the questions that media intelligence must answer, ensuring that PR efforts are aligned with tangible outcomes.

The overarching lesson for Africa’s PR and communications industry is that major events are PR goldmines—but only if approached with precision, backed by intelligence, and measured effectively. Lamar’s Super Bowl presence serves as a playbook for how media influence can be engineered through strategic PR planning, near real-time sentiment tracking, and multi-platform amplification. African artists and brands have the talent and potential; what remains is the intentional use of media intelligence to ensure that every opportunity is maximized to its fullest potential. PR measurement is not an afterthought—it is the foundation for sustainable media success.

Philip Odiakose is a leader and advocate of PR measurement, evaluation, and media monitoring in Nigeria. He is also the Chief Media Analyst at P+ Measurement Services, a member of AMECNIPR, AMEC Lab Initiative, AMCRON and ACIOM

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The Future of Product Management: Key Industry Trends to Watch in 2025

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Princess Akari

By Princess Akari

If you had told me five years ago, when I was just transitioning into product management, that the role would look like this today, I might not have believed you. But after five years working as a Product Manager (PM), I’ve seen how fast the industry moves, and 2025 is set to bring even bigger changes. Product managers who stay ahead of these changes will build better products and grow their careers. Those who don’t may struggle to keep up.

Here are some key trends to watch and how to adapt.

1.    AI, AI, AI!

AI has rapidly gained popularity and continues to grow in influence. For product managers, understanding and using AI tools is now becoming essential, as AI is transforming how we work. Understanding what we can achieve with AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), is essential. Some of the top use cases include content generation, customer support automation (e.g. chatbots), code assistance, research summarization, personalized learning, virtual assistants, data analysis, creative brainstorming, language translation, and much more. Also, as a PM, AI can be introduced into your product to improve user experience and in turn business outcomes.

You might be asking yourself, what can I do to stay in touch with this AI trend? You can start by learning how AI tools can improve your daily workflow, do your own research on the numerous AI tools available and their capabilities. Experiment with AI-driven analytics, user feedback tools, etc. Be very curious and get your hands on as many AI resources as possible.

I recently got an AI micro-certification from Product School. If you’re interested, You can take the course here. Recently as well, I hosted a podcast episode on building AI products, transitioning into AI, and using AI in product development. For Apple podcasts, you can listen here, and for Spotify, you can listen here. These are great resources to give you a good head start.

Other resources; deeplearning.ai, Hugging face, Alpha signal, The Neuron.

2.    The definition of “Product Manager” is changing

A few years ago, we had a fairly standard definition of who a PM was and what a PM does. The role of a PM was more standardized, with a clear set of expectations and responsibilities. But as the years have come by, the world has changed and so has the role.

Today, we’re seeing an increased number of specialized PM roles. Some PMs focus on emerging technologies like AI, while others work deeply within data, design, growth, engineering, or operations. Beyond skill-based specializations, some PMs are industry-specialized, such as Fintech PMs, Healthtech PMs, or E-commerce PMs. No two PM roles look the same anymore.

Companies are increasingly hiring specialized PMs to tackle specific challenges, prioritizing specific skill sets and industry experience over conventional backgrounds. Instead of looking for a PM generalist who can adapt to anything, they create detailed role descriptions with targeted skill requirements, tailoring the role to solve specific business challenges. As a result, we’re seeing more unconventional hires stepping into PM positions because they have the exact expertise needed to tackle a company’s unique problems. This highlights an important reality for generalist PMs, specialization is becoming more valuable.

If you’re currently a generalist PM, it’s worth considering how you can narrow your focus, whether by choosing a particular industry or developing expertise in areas like AI, data, growth, design, or technical product management. The demand for specialized skills is growing, and upskilling in these areas will make you more competitive in the job market.

3.    PMs are now taking ownership beyond product development

Product managers used to mainly focus on the tech team (engineers, designers, QAs, etc) to build and launch products. But these days (and even in recent years), the role has grown much bigger. PMs are now more involved in the business side of things, leading and guiding business verticals. The role now extends into profit and loss (P&L) considerations and the overall commercial success of a product. They work closely with marketing, sales, finance, and customer support to make sure the product succeeds, not just in how it’s built but also in how it’s launched, sold, and maintained.

PMs are now more involved with how the product will reach customers and profitability. They work closely with marketing and sales teams to ensure a strong product positioning and a seamless launch. It’s no longer just about building a great product, it’s about making sure it reaches the right customers, at the right time, with the right messaging. Ensuring people understand what the product does and why they should use it. This requires PMs to understand their competition, pricing strategies, and customer acquisition channels.

I am well aware that in some companies PMs are now responsible (fully or partially) for pricing and revenue strategies, just as much as the product features. They work with finance and business teams to figure out pricing options and ideas on how that business unit can make a profit. As these companies look for sustainable growth, PMs are also expected to collaborate with customer success teams to improve retention and customer lifetime value.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, product management is constantly changing and so are we as PMs. If there’s one piece of advice I’d give, it’s to stay curious and adaptable. We should be open to continuous learning and new ways of thinking. The more we adapt, learn, and refine our skills, the more valuable we become. There’s always something new to explore, and that’s what makes the role so dynamic.

And if you’re looking for the best place to put your product management skills to practice, join me at Moniepoint – https://www.moniepoint.com/careers

Princess Akari is a product manager at Africa’s fastest-growing financial institution, Moniepoint

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Content Piracy: A Global Initiative Against a Global Enemy

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Content Piracy

By Temiloluwa Olajide

It’s no longer news that piracy is a global enemy, one that has destroyed and continues to destroy the work and livelihoods of countless creatives. From film and music to sports broadcasts and television series, piracy robs rightful owners of their earnings and threatens the sustainability of entire industries.

As a global scourge, it requires a global response and fortunately, powerful partnerships are being forged across the planet  and across sectors  to protect content creators and the industry they work in. These partnerships involved digital content platforms, law enforcement bodies, cybersecurity firms and tech companies,  all working together to ensure the viability of the industries that inform, educate and entertain audiences.

At first glance, piracy might seem like an easy way to access free entertainment, but its consequences run deep, affecting both individuals and society as a whole. On a personal level, streaming a sports event or show from an illegal site can expose users to serious risks, such as malware infections, identity theft, or financial fraud. Hackers can gain access to sensitive information, including bank details, potentially wiping out accounts. The damage caused by such crimes far outweighs the satisfaction of watching a football match for free.

Beyond personal risks, piracy also cripples the creative sector by siphoning revenue away from legitimate rightsholders. When movies, music, and sports events are illegally distributed, producers and creatives do not receive their due earnings. This lack of compensation disrupts the industry, leading to fewer productions, job losses, and weakened investment in new content.

Nigeria has one of the most vibrant entertainment industries in the world, with Nollywood ranking as one of the biggest film industries globally and Afrobeats taking center stage in international music charts. The potential for even greater success is huge, but piracy poses an obstacle.

MultiChoice, a key investor in local content, has spent years bringing high-quality productions to audiences, yet piracy continues to threaten the industry.

Illegal streaming of sports events, reality TV shows, and locally produced series remains a major concern. This is particularly critical as the platform regularly broadcasts live feeds of many of the most popular sporting events on earth—F1, the Olympic Games, Euro, World Cup, and Champions League football, as well as popular local leagues.

Beyond sports, Africa Magic and Showmax Originals have become home to some of Africa’s most beloved entertainment shows, including hits like The Real Housewives of Lagos (RHOLagos), Big Brother Naija, and Nigerian Idol.

With content available in 40 languages and a growing library exceeding 84,000 hours, these platforms play a vital role in African storytelling. However, the rise of illegal streaming not only impacts revenue but also threatens the sustainability and growth of the creative industry.

To counter this, MultiChoice has joined forces with Partners Against Piracy (PAP) and cybersecurity firm Irdeto, actively tracking and shutting down illegal operations in multiple African nations.

With piracy tactics evolving, the fight against content theft must also advance. Strong collaborations, advanced technology, and public awareness are key to protecting the creative industry. By shutting down illegal operations and promoting legal alternatives, organizations like MultiChoice, PAP, and Irdeto are ensuring that content creators receive their rightful earnings and that audiences can continue to enjoy high-quality entertainment.

Ultimately, safeguarding creative content is not just about protecting businesses—it’s about securing the future of storytelling, preserving jobs, and ensuring that Africa’s thriving entertainment industry continues to grow. The fight against piracy is a shared responsibility, and by supporting legal content, we all contribute to a stronger, more sustainable creative economy.

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