Dr Leesi Gborogbosi, CEO of Gabriel Domale Consulting, has advised that getting the right answers to the question of the Niger Delta Development will be a game changer for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

He stated that the success of President Tinubu in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria will have historical significance if he is able to address the persistent failures of development. Previous administrations in Nigeria at the federal level and states of the Niger Delta failed because of a lack of understanding of the question facing the Niger Delta people.

Dr Leesi gborogbosi posited that the main question is - why lack of development? The new focus should be to first define and have a clear understanding of what development means, and how development can be achieved. We must adopt globally tested and acceptable development mechanisms.

He argued that the entire approach to the development of the Niger Delta is structurally defective with a poor operating model. There is no defined strategy, strategic plan, operations management, performance measures, stakeholders' management, regulatory compliance, and drivers of development.

The people of the Niger Delta must be made to be on the same page with regard to expected desired outcomes driven by a common understanding of what development of the Niger Delta requires. We must adopt long-term, mid-term and short-term development approaches as an integrated strategic intent.

Sadly, over the years, administrators in charge of the Niger Delta have been running around singing development concepts that have no globally researched foundations or relevance. We must avoid trying to develop the Niger Delta from intuition. Development must be approached from strategic thinking and global competitiveness. It is people who drive development; thus, people should be at the centre, not bridges.

There must be a good understanding of how human capital development, economic activities, infrastructure, collaboration, open innovation, secured society, financial intermediation, and shared vision contribute to development. We should domesticate global developmental practices.

The Niger Delta is full of world-class technocrats and professionals with success stories in Nigeria and around the world. Why are they not being put in charge of development institutions? Dr Leesi Gborogbosi advises that the administration of President Tinubu place Technocrats from the Niger Delta in charge of our development institutions.

Dr Leesi Gborogbosi, as an expert in the oil and gas industry and, a management consultant is willing to work with other professionals on a pro bono basis to craft the Niger Delta development strategy and implementation plan.

To develop the Niger Delta, we will encourage collaborative and synergic relationships among the development institutions such as NDDC, NCDMB, NNPC, NUPRC, HYPREP, etc. The common goal is the pursuit of sustainable development and happiness.

It is time to rethink the Niger Delta.

Dr Leesi Gborogbosi is the CEO of Gabriel Domale Consulting (Management Consulting Firm), Rivers State, Nigeria, helping companies in Africa to grow, provide insights to leaders and transform institutions. He worked for Shell for 26 years with significant contributions to strategy, planning, budget, project management, finance, cost reduction, contracting boards, governance, risk management, compliance, and performance management.

He has a doctorate in business administration (strategy), a doctoral degree in business studies, an MSc (Research Methodology in Management) from IE Business School, Madrid, and an MBA (Finance and Banking) from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria; and BSc (Accountancy) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He had his secondary education at Federal Government College, Jos, Nigeria. His doctoral dissertation focuses on strategy implementation, the role of oil and gas middle managers, and collaboration with oil and gas host communities.

He leverages his professional experience as a Certified Management Consultant (CMC); Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria; and The Institute of Management Consultants. Also, he is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, London, and the Nigerian Institute of Management.

He was nominated by the Strategic Management Society, Chicago for the "Best Conference Paper Prize Awards" in 2017 and 2015. He was appointed the Chair for the Session on “Leading change implementation processes” at the Strategic Management Society conference in Denver, United States in 2015.

Dr Leesi Gborogbosi has about three decades of leadership experience in the oil and gas industry. He is an expert in finance, strategy, corporate governance, transformation, cost management, leadership, training, and problem-solving. leesi.gborogbosi@gmail.com