Niger Delta development built on Horsfall’s legacy – Ex-NDDC director, Audu-Ohwavborua
Tributes Paid to Late Chief Albert Horsfall for His Impact on Niger Delta Development
A former director of project monitoring and supervision for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, has praised the contributions of the late Chief Albert Korubo Horsfall to the advancement of the Niger Delta region. Horsfall, who passed away recently at the age of 84, was the first chairman of the Oil Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC).
Speaking at a remembrance event on September 24, 2026, held at the NDDC Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Audu-Ohwavborua emphasized that the legacy of Horsfall is foundational to the ongoing development of the Niger Delta. During the ceremony, members of the NDDC board and management signed a condolence register in his honor.
The event attracted both current and former officials of the Commission, including past managing directors and CEOs, who recognized Horsfall’s significant role in the early years of federal development initiatives in the oil-producing region.
Audu-Ohwavborua noted that “Horsfall’s contribution to the Niger Delta cannot be separated from the institutional history of the NDDC.” Established in 1992, OMPADEC was created to address the development challenges faced by oil-producing communities. It was later succeeded by the NDDC in 2000, which was formed under a new legislative framework that expanded its mandate across the region.
Horsfall played a critical role in shaping the early development of the intervention framework, according to Audu-Ohwavborua. He also laid the foundation stone for the NDDC headquarters in 1995, which faced delays before its re-award by the Federal Executive Council in 2017. The project was finally completed in 2019.
The decision to honor Horsfall at the headquarters he helped establish decades ago serves as a symbolic bridge between the pioneering agency and the modern institution that succeeded it.
Prior to his involvement in Niger Delta development, Horsfall had a distinguished career in Nigeria’s security and intelligence services. A trained police officer, he was a founding member of the former National Security Organization (NSO) and became the first director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). He also served as the second director-general of the State Security Service (SSS), now known as the Department of State Services (DSS).
Horsfall’s influence extended beyond his governmental roles; he was a prominent figure in traditional and regional leadership, serving as the Omekwe Paramount Chief of the Kalabari Kingdom in Rivers State. He was also a founding member of the Board of Trustees of the Pan Niger Delta Forum.
Among the former NDDC leaders present were Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, Obong Nsima Ekere, Mrs. Iyasere Osato, Dr. Christy Atako, Mrs. Ibim Seminitari, Dr. Christian Oboh, and Dr. Enyia Akwaggaga, along with Audu-Ohwavborua.
Audu-Ohwavborua commended NDDC Chairman Chiedu Ebie and Managing Director/CEO Chief Samuel Ogbuku for their initiative in recognizing Horsfall’s contributions. He remarked that understanding the evolution of development interventions in the Niger Delta requires acknowledgment of institutional memory. The legacy of Horsfall will continue to be an integral part of the narratives surrounding Nigeria’s intelligence services, OMPADEC, the NDDC, and the broader story of development in the Niger Delta.
