Frequently Asked Questions (F&Qs)

The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) is a statutory Federal Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria established by the South-South Development Commission (Establishment) Act, 2025, assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. Under Section 8 of the Establishment Act, the Commission is charged with formulating policies and executing strategic physical infrastructure, Blue Economy trade, human capital, agro-industrialisation, and ecological restoration programmes across the six states of the South-South geopolitical zone.

The SSDC serves the six sovereign member states of the South-South geopolitical zone: Akwa Ibom State, Bayelsa State, Cross River State, Delta State, Edo State, and Rivers State—spanning 123 Local Government Areas and over 32 million citizens.

The Commission’s Corporate Headquarters is located at 165 Unit A, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, with liaison coordination desks across the remaining five state capitals (Yenagoa, Calabar, Asaba, Benin City, and Port Harcourt) and Abuja.

The Governing Board is chaired by Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, OFR (Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives), while Executive Management is led by Ms. Usoro Offiong Akpabio, FRSA, FCE as Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer. They are supported by Executive Directors overseeing Projects, Commercial & Environmental Development, Finance, Corporate Services, and Social & Human Capital Development, alongside state and zonal representatives on the Governing Board. Visit our Leadership Directory for full biographies.

SSDC operates under the supervisory framework of the Federal Ministry of Regional Development (FMRD) and harmonizes inter-regional infrastructure corridors, ecological protection, and joint planning with State Governments and sister Zonal Development Commissions (NEDC, NWDC, SWDC, SEDC, NCDC, and NDDC) to eliminate duplication and maximize developmental impact across the Niger Delta and Atlantic seaboard.

The five symbols inside the SSDC Emblem represent our core operational axes:

• 01. Green Industrialisation & Environmental Stewardship: Clean industrial parks, shoreline protection, and mangrove/wetland remediation.
• 02. Atlantic Blue Economy & Deep-Sea Ports: Deep-sea port logistics (Ibom Deep Seaport, Onne, Bakassi, Agge, Burutu, Gelegele), maritime security, and commercial aquaculture.
• 03. Energy & Regional Infrastructure Corridors: Inter-state highways, riverine bridges, gas-to-power industrial hubs, and solar mini-grids.
• 04. Human Capital & Technical Engineering: Digital innovation hubs, STEM scholarships, technical fabrication training, and quaternary healthcare.
• 05. Mechanised Agriculture & Food Security: 100ha+ commercial farm estates, cocoa/oil-palm/cassava processing mills, and cold-chain logistics.

Enrolment windows for youth digital skills bootcamps, maritime/engineering apprenticeships, and cooperative agro-processing grants are announced publicly on our Programmes Page and Media Statements. Application portals are 100% free of charge and require valid National Identification Number (NIN) verification and proof of residence or enterprise operations within the six member states.

All SSDC procurement strictly complies with the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 and Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) guidelines. Prospective contractors and consultants must possess mandatory statutory credentials including CAC Incorporation, current FIRS Tax Clearance Certificate (3 years), PENCOM, ITF, NSITF, and BPP National Database of Contractors registration. Active Invitations to Tender (ITT) and Requests for Expression of Interest (REOI) are published on our Procurement & Tenders Portal.

No. Employment recruitment at SSDC is strictly merit-based and free at every stage. For procurement tenders, only statutory tender document fees explicitly stated in official Federal Government Tender Journal advertisements and paid directly into designated Federal Government Treasury Single Account (TSA / Remita) channels apply. Report any unauthorized solicitation to [email protected] or [email protected].

Projects are prioritized through Bottom-Up Needs Assessments conducted jointly with State Governments, Local Government Councils, traditional institutions, and civil society organizations. Every approved capital project is geo-tagged with GIS coordinates, tracked via satellite and UAV (drone) telemetry, and subjected to independent milestone verification before contractor certificates are settled.

Current openings across our Civil & Marine Engineering, Blue Economy, Environmental Science, Project Finance, ICT, and Corporate Services directorates are listed on the Careers at SSDC page. All recruitment adheres to Federal Character Commission (FCC) equity principles and equal opportunity standards.

SSDC structures bankable Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), and blended-finance facilities for deep-sea port corridors, gas industrial parks, renewable mini-grids, and commercial agriculture estates. Institutional investors and DFIs can submit a formal partnership brief via our Partner With Us Portal to engage the Directorate of Commercial & Environmental Development.

Published baseline surveys, quarterly project scorecards, and press communiqués are freely downloadable on our Media & Reports Repository. Formal Freedom of Information (FOI) requests or press accreditation inquiries may be submitted via our Contact & Inquiries Desk or addressed to the Corporate Affairs Unit at Uyo Headquarters.