FEMI AGGE UNVEILS COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT APPROACH AS SOUTH-SOUTH COMMISSION BEGINS CONSULTATION WITH TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS
The South South Development Commission (SSDC) has taken a major step towards building a grassroots-driven development framework in Edo State, with the state’s representative on the Commission, Barrister Femi Oise Agge, engaging 23 traditional rulers from Edo Central in a strategic consultative meeting aimed at strengthening collaboration between the Commission, traditional institutions and local communities.
The engagement, held in Ekpoma on September 6, 2026, was hosted by the Onojie of Ekpoma, His Royal Majesty Anthony Ehizojie Abumere II, and brought together prominent traditional rulers from communities across the Edo Central Senatorial District.
The meeting provided an avenue for discussions on the development aspirations, challenges and needs of communities in the area, as the Commission moves towards establishing what it describes as a more participatory and community-focused approach to development across the South-South region.
Speaking during the engagement, Barrister Agge said the consultation with traditional rulers was part of a deliberate strategy to ensure that development interventions are not designed and implemented without direct engagement with the people and communities expected to benefit from them.
He said traditional rulers remain critical stakeholders in Nigeria’s development architecture because of their closeness to the people, deep understanding of local realities and influence within their respective communities.
According to him, the South South Development Commission intends to establish stronger connections with communities across the region through structured consultation, needs assessment and targeted interventions.
Barrister Agge traced the history of intervention agencies established by successive administrations to address developmental challenges in different parts of Nigeria, noting that while such interventions had recorded varying degrees of success, the challenge of connecting directly and effectively with grassroots communities remained significant.
He said the South South Development Commission, established in 2025 under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has the opportunity to adopt a different approach by placing greater emphasis on consultation, community participation and strategic intervention.
The Edo State representative said the Commission’s engagement with traditional rulers was therefore not merely ceremonial but an important component of its broader development strategy.
He explained that the Commission would focus substantially on areas including critical infrastructure, healthcare, education, youth empowerment and other interventions capable of stimulating sustainable economic and social development across the South-South region.
The engagement, he said, represents the beginning of a wider consultation process that would enable the Commission to gain a clearer understanding of the specific needs and priorities of communities.
Barrister Agge disclosed that the next phase of the Commission’s activities in Edo State would involve a comprehensive needs assessment, beginning with communities in Esan Central before extending to other parts of the state.
He said the exercise would enable the Commission to identify genuine community needs, prioritise interventions and channel available resources towards projects capable of delivering measurable and sustainable development.
According to him, development initiatives are more likely to achieve lasting results when they are informed by the actual needs of the people rather than assumptions made without sufficient community engagement.
The proposed needs assessment, therefore, is expected to form an important part of the Commission’s effort to establish a development framework based on direct consultation and grassroots participation.
Barrister Agge said the approach is consistent with the broader objectives of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places emphasis on inclusive development, economic empowerment and improving the quality of life of Nigerians.
The traditional rulers at the meeting welcomed the initiative and pledged their support for the activities and interventions of the South South Development Commission.
The Onojie of Ekpoma, His Royal Majesty Anthony Ehizojie Abumere II, commended the Edo State representative for engaging traditional institutions directly and assured him of the cooperation and support of the traditional rulers.
The monarch said traditional institutions remain prepared to work with relevant government agencies and development institutions to promote the progress and welfare of their communities.
Also speaking, the Onojie of Igueben and Okaigun of Esan Land, His Royal Majesty Ehizojie Eleuojierior I, JP, commended the establishment of the South South Development Commission and described it as an important intervention mechanism for addressing developmental challenges across the region.
The monarch and other traditional rulers expressed optimism that the Commission’s interventions would reach communities in a fair, transparent and sustainable manner.
They also offered prayers for the success of Barrister Agge and the effective implementation of the Commission’s mandate.
The ceremony reflected the cultural traditions and values of the Edo people, with Barrister Agge presenting kola nuts and drinks to the traditional rulers during the engagement.
Souvenirs were also presented to the monarchs, while the gathering ended with a convivial interaction, a meal and a symbolic group photograph involving Barrister Agge and the traditional rulers.
The engagement is being viewed as the beginning of a potentially stronger relationship between the South South Development Commission, traditional institutions and local communities in Edo State.
The Commission’s decision to begin consultations with traditional rulers highlights the important role traditional institutions continue to play in connecting government policies and development initiatives with communities at the grassroots.
The traditional rulers who attended the engagement included the Onojie of Ekpoma, His Royal Majesty Anthony Ehizojie Abumere II; the Onojie of Ukhessan, His Royal Majesty Lucky Ehichioya Imadojemu; the Onojie of Uroh, His Royal Majesty Samuel; and the Onogie of Ubiaja, His Royal Majesty Curtis Iredia Edenojie I.
Others were the Onojie of Onogholo, His Royal Majesty Emmanuel Aigbojie Ehinomen; the Onojie of Idoa, His Royal Majesty Amedu Momoh; the Onojie of Orowa, His Royal Majesty Cyril Aidenojie I; and the Onojie of Ewossa, His Royal Majesty Kelvin Usiho.
Also present were the Onojie of Emu, His Royal Majesty Aidenojie Promise; the Onojie of Oria, His Royal Majesty Sydney Oguamelu; the Onojie of Ohordua, His Royal Majesty Steven Orihbabor; and the Onojie of Urohi, His Royal Majesty Dominic Uwuigbowen Otokhine I.
The Onojie of Uzea, His Royal Majesty Solomon Itoya; the Onojie of Ebelle, His Royal Majesty King David Usifoh; the Onojie of Ugun, His Royal Majesty Oboh Ehizojie Ehijiator I; and the Onojie of Ugbegun, His Royal Majesty Samuel Obade II, were also among those in attendance.
Others included the Onojie of Okallo, His Royal Majesty Izebhokha Egualona; the Onojie of Egoro, His Royal Majesty Theophilus Osobase I; the Onojie of Opoji, His Royal Majesty Osobomeamen Ehijie I; and the Onojie of Igueben and Okaigun of Esan Land, His Royal Majesty Ehizojie Eleuojierior I, JP.
The Onojie of Ugboha, His Royal Majesty Ukato Odigie; the Oguromi of Uromi, His Royal Majesty Zaiki Edenogu II; and the Onojie of Ogwa, His Royal Majesty V. A. Ehizogie II, also attended the meeting.
Barrister Agge was accompanied to the engagement by Barrister Hon. Nelson Oseghade, Engr. Victor Omojuanfo and Mr. John Imevbore.
For the South South Development Commission, the engagement in Edo Central signals the beginning of a wider effort to take its development mandate closer to the people.
By consulting traditional rulers and planning direct community needs assessments, the Commission appears to be positioning itself to identify local priorities before implementing major interventions.
The central message from the meeting was clear: development, to be sustainable, must involve the people it is designed to serve.
As the Commission prepares to extend its consultations and needs assessment exercise to communities across Edo State, expectations will now be high over how quickly the discussions and partnerships established with traditional institutions translate into visible and measurable development projects.
For communities across Edo Central and the wider South-South region, the success of the Commission’s grassroots strategy will ultimately be judged not only by consultations and promises but by the impact of its interventions on infrastructure, healthcare, education, youth development and the everyday lives of the people.
IBN NEWS will continue to monitor developments surrounding the South South Development Commission and its planned grassroots interventions across Edo State and the wider South-South region.
