The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has urged its contractors and consultants to resolve disputes early, warning that unresolved conflicts could derail development projects and increase costs for people in the region.
The Commission’s Executive Director, Corporate Services, Ifedayo Abegunde, made the point while opening a three-day sensitisation programme on ‘Enhancing Capacity for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)’ for NDDC contractors and consultants.
Abegunde said contractors and consultants are not merely responsible for executing projects; they are also ‘critical first responders in conflict management’ because of their proximity to project sites, communities, and emerging disputes.
Early intervention in disagreements over payments, variations, designs, timelines, work quality, measurements, site access and contractual obligations could prevent minor issues from escalating into prolonged disputes.
While acknowledging that ‘conflict may be inevitable,’ Abegunde insisted that its escalation is not. He added that the NDDC is particularly concerned about dispute management because its projects are directly tied to the socio-economic well-being of communities across the Niger Delta.
‘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,’ he said.
Abegunde warned that when conflicts stall projects, the consequences extend beyond the contractors or the commission.
‘When conflict stalls a project, the cost is not limited to the contractor or the Commission. The real cost is borne by the people waiting for development,’ he said.
The NDDC executive director said project disputes could lead to delayed completion, increased costs, strained relationships with contractors and host communities, litigation, and lost time.
He therefore urged participants to build capacity to identify early warning signs of disputes and deploy appropriate mechanisms before they degenerate into costly legal battles.
‘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,’ Abegunde said.
He listed negotiation, mediation, conciliation, adjudication, and arbitration among the mechanisms available under ADR, stressing that applying them appropriately could help protect projects and contractual relationships.
The NDDC executive director also clarified that ADR should not be interpreted as a means to avoid accountability or to surrender legitimate contractual rights.
He said, ‘ADR is not about avoiding accountability, nor is it about compromising legitimate contractual or legal rights. It is about addressing problems intelligently, proportionately and as early as possible, before they become more expensive, more complicated and more damaging.’
Abegunde said strengthening the ADR capacity of NDDC contractors and consultants would ultimately improve project delivery, protect resources and preserve professional relationships.
He also linked peaceful dispute resolution directly to development, saying: ‘Peace is not separate from development; peace is one of the conditions that makes development possible.’
He urged participants to use the training to build a culture of early intervention, constructive engagement and professional dispute management.
‘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,’ he said.