By Elohor Foghola/ Elizabeth Oduje
The Executive Director of Projects on the Board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Olorogun Dr. Ebenezer Okorodudu, has praised Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Ododo, for setting up the Kogi State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (KOSOPADEC), describing the initiative as a product of “knowledgeable and visionary leadership.”
Dr. Okorodudu gave the commendation today, during a courtesy visit by the Executive Director of Social Services at KOSOPADEC, Dr. Engr. Usman Nda Mohammed, to the DESOPADEC headquarters in Warri, Delta State.
While commending Governor Ododo, Okorodudu said the decision to encourage KOSOPADEC officials to learn from existing agencies reflects humility and administrative foresight. “It takes a leader with wisdom to direct an institution to learn before acting,” he stated
Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Okorodudu explained the operational structure of DESOPADEC, which consists of a Chairman, Managing Director, four Executive Directors, and nine members representing various ethnic nationalities. He noted that DESOPADEC has undergone significant restructuring over the years, adding that he was impressed by KOSOPADEC’s decision to understudy older and more established intervention agencies.
He recalled that DESOPADEC, at its inception, grappled with leadership and organizational challenges, particularly due to overlapping functions between the Executive Chairman and the Secretary. During the early years, both offices independently employed personnel and awarded contracts, largely influenced by the volume of funds available to the Commission .
To restore order, he said HE, Emmanuel Uduaghan the then Executive Governor dissolved the board after its tenure and appointed an Interim Management Committee headed by Mr. Bayoko Reginald who recently retired as Head of Service. The committee reorganized the commission, laying the foundation for the modern structure DESOPADEC operates today.
Dr. Okorodudu further explained that DESOPADEC now runs with a ceremonial Chairman, a Managing Director/CEO, and Four Executive Directors heading Four Directorates—Finance and Administration, Projects, Social Services, and Planning, Research & Statistics. He described the Projects Directorate as “the heart of the commission.”
He also highlighted the Commission’s “mandate area” policy, which covers oil and gas producing communities across Delta State. According to him, DESOPADEC covers 21 out of the 25 local government areas, while the remaining four are non–oil producing. Allocations to different ethnic nationalities, he said, are determined by their level of oil production—a principle known as production quantum.
While commending Governor Ododo, Okorodudu said the decision to encourage KOSOPADEC officials to learn from existing agencies reflects humility and administrative foresight. “It takes a leader with wisdom to direct an institution to learn before acting,” he stated
Responding, Dr. Usman Nda Mohammed disclosed that KOSOPADEC was inaugurated in August 2025 and is now seeking institutional knowledge to guide its development. He described DESOPADEC as a “pioneer model” and stressed the need for early technical guidance on organograms, intervention areas and operational procedures.
“We are here to plead for a date because we need this knowledge urgently,” he said, adding that KOSOPADEC is committed to building a strong foundation by learning from established bodies.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s readiness to adopt proven models as it embarks on developmental initiatives for oil-bearing communities in Kogi State.
