The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to delivering excellent services and a dignified engagement with stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.

Ogbuku, who stated this during a three-day Protocol and Protection Bootcamp for staff of the NDDC’s Corporate Affairs Department in Port Harcourt, remarked that it would enhance their capacity to deliver excellent services and uphold the Commission's dignity.

The Managing Director, who was represented by the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, harped on the need for excellence and integrity in the Commission’s dealings with its stakeholders.

Ogbuku reminded the staff that the training was designed not only to enhance their knowledge but also to be an opportunity to strengthen their collective understanding of diplomatic protocol, security awareness, and the standards that define public service decorum.

The NDDC boss urged the participants to make the best use of the training, which is meant to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to represent the Commission effectively.

The keynote speaker, Dr Emmanuel Metuaghan, highlighted the importance of protocol in defining organisational values and promoting international best practices. He stressed the need for protocol officers to be dedicated and detail-oriented, particularly in event planning and execution.

Metuaghan further emphasised the role of protocol in enhancing partnership and opening global opportunities, noting that NDDC had built institutional trust in recent times.

In his remarks, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Ambassador Lawrence Obisakin, described protocol as the correct order of procedures in every event. He noted that protocol ensures orderliness, promotes efficiency, and upholds the dignity of office, and advised protocol officers to possess political awareness and maintain a high standard of dressing, stating: “How you dress is how you will be addressed.”

PHOTO: NDDC Executive Director, Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, in a handshake with the Resource Person, Amb. Lawrence Obisakin, during the NDDC Corporate Affairs Department retreat on the protocol and protection nexus bootcamp in Port Harcourt. With them are the Director Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Seledi Thompson-Wakama (2nd left); the Deputy Director, Media Relations, Dr Tony Omah (1st left) and the Head of Events Management and Protocol, Mrs. Clara Braid (1st right)