The Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr Maikanti Baru, has said that the Federal Government was committed to developing the Niger Delta region.

Baru made this known in a statement released to newsmen by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Garba Deen Mohammed, in Abuja on Thursday.

Baru said this when he received the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, retired Brig.- Gen. Paul Boroh.

He said that the Federal Government’s amnesty programme was critical toward ensuring lasting peace in the Niger Delta region.

”The Amnesty Programme is key to restoring peace to the Niger Delta and the corporation remains ever committed to collaborating with relevant stakeholders towards developing the Niger Delta region.

”Insecurity has affected NNPC’s operations, especially in the region but with relative peace now coming back to the area, the NNPC will ramp up its oil and gas production to be able to deliver on its mandate to the nation,” Baru said.

Earlier, Boroh told Baru that he was at the NNPC towers to share some of the success stories of the programme, especially in terms of human capital development of the various beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme.

He intimated Baru that the programme had trained over 15,000 ex-agitators in various skills and trades.

”Fourteen of them graduated with First Class from various universities both in Nigeria and abroad,” Boroh said.