The Acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ibim Semenitari, says the commission has been re-branded to deliver timely and quality services to the people.
Semenitari said this at the 43 Annual General Meeting/Congress of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria in Uyo on Friday.
Speaking on “Communication as a tool for national development: A call to be fantastically conceptual”, Semenitari said the commission was driving on a new lane.
She said she was appointed when the people’s perception of the commission was negative and full of suspicion.
“Since I came on board, my communication has been unambiguous and focused. We focus on lifting the veil and inviting all stakeholders into the room.
“I have pursued new partnerships, engineered stronger collaborations and insisted on stakeholders’ participation.
“At the NDDC, we have taken steps forward. Our books are getting cleaner. We insist on timeliness and quality services from contractors”, Semenitari said.
She explained that the commission under her leadership was committed to bringing succour to the oil bearing communities through provision of infrastructure to meet their basic needs.
The Acting Managing Director said she had inculcated the doctrine of accountability, transparency, partnerships and stakeholder engagements in the commission.
She asserted that communication was an essential tool for altering perception and making the people to appreciate the need for national development.
“Providing citizens with information on priorities, programmes and activities is a vital government function, which underpins state-society relation”, Semenitari said.
She urged the association to utilise all channels of communication to adequately project the positive image of Nigeria and the programmes of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom said “Nigeria is a great and rich with talented individuals and natural resources.”
He called on the advertising practitioners to use their expertise to change the negative perception about Nigeria through their tool of strategic communication.
Emmanuel also called on professionals to jump in and clean the murky water of politics so that things can be done right and decently in Nigeria.
The governor urged the media and the advertising personnel to emphasise the spirit of enterprise and all the virtues that make Nigeria great.
He refuted the claim that Nigeria was fantastically corrupt and advised the strategic communication experts to evolve ways of changing the notion.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the two-day conference will be rounded off on Saturday after the election of a new executive council for the association.
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