Report

Federal Government Amnesty Strategy in the Niger Delta : Will it go Beyond Satisficing Minimalism?

The DDRR strategy is a commendable initiative, since it brings back the developmental problem of the Niger Delta atop the in-tray of the national policy agenda in Nigeria and allows the proponents of the Niger Delta developmental issues to ventilate their concerns through an administrative rather than an adversarial platform. However, there are many indications that the implementation of the vision driving the strategy was not well thought out. Many of the solutions it purports to offer the Niger Delta development problems are unsustainable in the long term. It is suggested that a holistic approach be taken to account in implementing the strategy, with the stakeholders carried along at all stages and the front line implementers are required to exhibit transparency and accountability to gain the trust of the beneficiaries and of the people of the Niger Delta.