Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio (MMI) has pledged to support the South South Development Commission (SSDC) in its efforts to accelerate development across the region, with the organisation positioning itself as a strategic stakeholder in the commission’s programmes.
The commitment was made Monday, when the SSDC Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ms Usoro Akpabio, led a delegation to the MMI International Secretariat in Uyo, where she engaged the organisation’s leadership on the commission’s mandate, programmes and development priorities.
MMI International President, Akparawa (Elder) Ini-Abasi Ekanem, said the organisation was ready to provide support and cooperation to the SSDC, stressing that its interest was centred on initiatives capable of improving the well-being of the people. “Feel free to work with MMI. We are an organisation committed to the peace, unity and development of Akwa Ibom State,” he said.
Ekanem also welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of an Akwa Ibom indigene to lead the SSDC, describing it as an opportunity for the state and the wider South-South region. He said, “We are happy that President Bola Tinubu has appointed an indigene of the state to this exalted office of MD/CEO of the SSDC, and we pledge to cooperate with the Commission.”
For Akpabio, the engagement was part of a broader stakeholder consultation designed to ensure that the commission’s development interventions reflect the realities and priorities of communities across the South-South. She said the SSDC was “established to facilitate the development of the region” and was therefore engaging stakeholders to understand their needs.
She disclosed that the Akwa Ibom office of the commission would soon commence consultations with major stakeholders in the state, a step she said would help deepen participation and ensure that the commission’s programmes are better aligned with local development needs.
The engagement also drew calls from former MMI President Akparawa James Edet, NPOM, and Chairman of the Advisory Council and Past President, Akparawa (Elder) Udo Sam Umoatan, for the SSDC leadership to translate its mandate into tangible development outcomes, while assuring Akpabio of MMI’s cooperation.
The meeting subsequently extended to the MMI Central Working Committee, where Akpabio presented the SSDC’s vision and programmes and interacted with members. The engagement underscores the importance of partnerships between development institutions and established community organisations in identifying needs, widening participation and delivering interventions with measurable impact.
