By: Eugene Upah
In a move signaling the official commencement of regional development efforts, Ms. Usoro Akpabio, the newly appointed Managing Director of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), led a delegation to meet with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in Abuja on Monday.
The visit, which happened on July 21st, 2025, follows the recent Senate screening of the Commission’s leadership, underscoring the SSDC’s commitment to aligning with the Federal Government’s development agenda. The Commission is poised to accelerate infrastructure, economic and human capital development across Nigeria’s South-South geopolitical zone.
During the meeting, SGF Akume congratulated Ms. Akpabio and the newly constituted SSDC leadership on their appointments. He highlighted the strategic importance of the South-South region to Nigeria’s overall growth and stability, urging the SSDC team to prioritize professionalism, transparency and innovation in their duties.
“This appointment is a vote of confidence by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in your ability to transform the narrative of the South-South,” the SGF stated. “We are counting on your leadership to drive meaningful, inclusive development that reaches the grassroots and strengthens the economic potential of the region.”
Senator Akume reiterated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to devolving development efforts and fostering collaboration with regional institutions like the SSDC to ensure balanced national growth.
In her response Ms. Akpabio, reaffirmed the SSDC’s dedication to transparency, accountability and achieving measurable impact in all its projects and interventions which she had earlier stated during her senate screening. “We are prepared to hit the ground running,” she assured. “The people of the South-South are looking up to us, and we will not fail them.”
A key moment of the visit was the formal presentation of appointment letters to the SSDC management team, officially marking the beginning of their tenure and the launch of the Commission’s operations. She was accompanied by other Commission members.
