The head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has asked the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to step up its efforts in fixing the region’s long-standing economic troubles.

She pointed out that for many years, the Niger Delta has faced serious environmental damage due to the heavy oil and gas activities in the area.

Okonjo-Iweala made this appeal on Saturday during the 25th anniversary celebration of the NDDC.

She explained that because the region’s growth has been ignored for too long, many people there feel frustrated, and this has caused unrest among the population.

The WTO chief advised the NDDC to make economic growth in the Niger Delta a major priority going forward.

She also praised the commission for the efforts it has already made, but reminded them that much more still needs to be done to bring lasting progress.

Okonjo-Iweala added that the NDDC was created in 2000 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. It replaced an earlier agency called OMPADEC, which had operated during military rule. Both agencies were set up in response to the complaints from people in the Niger Delta about being left out and underdeveloped, despite the region being the source of Nigeria’s oil wealth.