By Emmanuel Abi Couson
The Itsekiri Environmental Protection Initiative ( IEPI) has taken a swipe at Ministry of Regional Development for the abandonment of an office under construction in Ajaetan in Warri South Local Government of Delta State Nigeria
The group made the observation on Monday 5th October, as the world commemorates World Habitat Day, a United Nations initiative that calls global attention to the condition of human settlements and the need for sustainable, inclusive urban development.
IEPI states that, as the world reflects on creating safe, resilient, and sustainable communities, the situation in Ajaetan Community, Ijala, Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State presents a sobering case study.
This was disclosed in a Press Release made available to the media in Warri recently and signed . by Ojumude Tosan Bishop
National Coordinator and Neye Golly
National P.R.O. of
Itsekiri Environmental Protection Initiative, (IEPI).
The statement reads : ”At the center of this concern is the abandoned Delta State Liaison Office of the Ministry of Regional Development, a project seated on 1.109 hectares of land generously donated by the host community. The building had reached the roofing stage before being abandoned when the contractor, Treapo Nigeria Limited, vacated the site at the onset of the COVID-19 lockdown. Since then, the structure has been overtaken by weeds and wildlife, standing today as a symbol of wasted resources in an oil-producing region critical to Nigeria’s economy.
Initial concerns over the relocation of the project sparked understandable outrage. However, the Ministry of Regional Development later assured the community in a letter dated 7th July 2025, signed by Arc. David O. Otom, Deputy Director of Housing and Urban Development, that the project would be resumed and completed “in no distant time.” While this assurance is welcome, words must now be matched with immediate, visible action.
Abandoned projects in national assets or multinational host communities represent far more than unfinished buildings. They fuel urban decay, insecurity, poor sanitation, and environmental degradation. They erode public trust, especially when communities have made sacrifices such as donating land. Worse still, they deny oil-producing host communities the government presence and essential services they urgently require to balance development with resource extraction.
World Habitat Day underscores the principles of sustainability, inclusivity, and accountability in human settlements. To abandon nearly completed structures while awarding new contracts elsewhere undermines these global principles. The completion of the Ajaetan Liaison Office is therefore not merely about construction; it is about justice, equity, and environmental responsibility.
The Itsekiri Environmental Protection Initiative (IEPI) further calls on institutions that have been allocated plots within the same stretch of land in Ijala including the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), etc, to rise to their responsibility. These institutions must take possession of their plots and transform them into functional facilities that will serve the community, strengthen governance, enhance environmental security, foster sustainable development, and promote education in Warri South.
At the same time, IEPI warmly commends Christ Embassy for its remarkable progress in fast-tracking the establishment of its Inner City Mission Complex on its allocated land in the same area. This initiative is a shining example of how vision and commitment can transform donated spaces into impactful projects that uplift lives.
On this World Habitat Day, IEPI reaffirms that national assets and multinational host communities such as Ajaetan, which hosts the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), among other multinationals must not be neglected in the march toward sustainable urban development. Government projects must be completed, not abandoned. Allocated lands must be developed, not wasted. And all stakeholders must work collaboratively to ensure that our human settlements are inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
We therefore demand:
1. Immediate mobilization of the contractor back to site to complete the Liaison Office.
2. A clear timeline for completion and commissioning of the project.
3. Development of other allocated plots by NSCDC, NIS, NUT, and others.
4. Stronger collaboration between government, NGOs, and local stakeholders to ensure accountability and transparency in project delivery.
In conclusion, the abandoned Liaison Office at Ajaetan Community is more than a half-finished building, it is a litmus test of Nigeria’s commitment to sustainable urban governance in oil-producing regions. On this World Habitat Day, IEPI calls on government agencies, institutions, and development actors to transform neglect into opportunity, ensuring that this vital project is delivered without further delay.
Ajaetan Community and by extension, the Ijala lands as a case study in the Niger Delta must not remain overrun by weeds and wildlife in the 21st century. Instead, it must rise as a beacon of environmental justice and sustainable urban development”
