Date: December 2025
Over the years, the Indigenous People of the Niger Delta (IPND) has remained consistent in its constructive engagement on policies affecting peace and development in the region. This commitment prompted an official response from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Ref: 59778/V/T3/176, 25 September 2018), which issued a directive to the Presidential Amnesty Programme to give due attention to IPND’s submission titled “Request for Urgent Intervention” and to take necessary action within its mandate.
That correspondence, preserved in the public record, reflects IPND’s sustained effort to ensure that the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) evolves into a more transparent and result-oriented mechanism for sustainable regional growth.
Fifteen years after the establishment of the PAP, the fundamental question remains: what truly transforms lives in the Niger Delta?
IPND maintains that the most enduring policies are those that build people, not dependency — programs that strengthen intellect, creativity, and enterprise rather than perpetuate cycles of crisis and appeasement.
To achieve this, interventions must go beyond short-term relief and commit to sustained human capital development that produces self-reliant citizens capable of shaping their own destinies.
In its most recent review, IPND noted encouraging developments within the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) under the coordination of Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro.
The Programme has demonstrated a more deliberate focus on structured education, advanced vocational training, and international postgraduate scholarships.
During a courtesy visit abroad, IPND’s President-General, Pumokumo B. E. Tiemo, met and interacted with some PAP scholars and delegates. The engagement offered firsthand insight into the calibre of beneficiaries and the professionalism shaping their training and academic pursuits.
IPND commends Dr. Otuaro’s leadership and his conscious emphasis on capacity building as the foundation for peace and progress. By investing in intellect and skill, rather than short-term appeasement, the PAP is helping cultivate a new generation of Niger Deltans equipped to lead the region into a future of innovation, productivity, and pride.
While acknowledging the progress achieved, IPND calls for expanded collaboration between PAP, state governments, and private-sector institutions.
Such partnerships can ensure that skills acquired through the amnesty framework align with real market demands and industrial growth.
Joint initiatives already piloted in Bayelsa, Rivers, and Delta States — where PAP beneficiaries trained in renewable energy, maritime logistics, and small business management — have begun yielding positive employment and entrepreneurship outcomes. These successes highlight the value of multi-sector engagement as a catalyst for inclusive development.
IPND encourages Dr. Otuaro and his team to sustain and deepen these collaborations, ensuring that the energy of the Niger Delta youth is transformed into sustainable economic and social progress.
IPND also commends the dedication and conduct of the PAP scholars and delegates it has interacted with both within and outside Nigeria.
As representatives of the region, beneficiaries are urged to continue serving as positive ambassadors of the Niger Delta’s identity, culture, and values.
They carry not only the hopes of their communities but the story of a people renowned for resilience, hospitality, and creativity. IPND encourages them to embody the dignity, discipline, and integrity that reflect the true heritage of the Niger Delta — and to use their education and skills to uplift others when they return home.
The IPND urges all Niger Delta leaders to adopt a legacy-driven governance philosophy that prizes transparency, continuity, and accountability.
Policies should be designed to outlive tenures and leave behind institutions, not mere headlines.
Where genuine progress is visible, it must be acknowledged and where gaps remain, constructive dialogue must continue.
IPND reaffirms its readiness to support every leader and agency committed to sustainable, people-centred development in the Niger Delta.
Signed,
Pumokumo B. E. Tiemo
President-General
Indigenous People of the Niger Delta (IPND)
