Niger Delta Development Forums envision a Niger Delta where all persons are able to live sustainable livelihoods, generate income and employment, and create economic opportunities unhindered by constraints from within and outside the market system in the region and beyond.

The forums are catalytic information sharing and collaboration opportunities for government, the private sector, and civil society organizations pursuing approaches for equitable and inclusive economic growth in the Niger Delta. NDDF also provides a platform to connect with other partners to collectively pursue improved development policies and practices in the Niger Delta.

The Forum is rotated among the Niger Delta states. The 1st edition of NDDF was held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in 2012; the 2nd in Benin City, Edo State in 2013; the 3rd in Calabar, Cross River State in 2014; the 4th in Asaba, Delta State in 2015 while the most recent edition was in Owerri, Imo State in 2016. Similar forums were held in Washington, DC (2014, 2015) and London (2015).

NDDF 2016 was held in Owerri, Imo state with a theme of Towards Self Sustaining Development in the Niger Delta: Narrating and Showcasing a Re-Imaged Niger Delta. For 2016, the situation for the Niger Delta was quite dire; the region was in crisis politically, economically, socially, and environmentally. The collapse of the global oil price has taken its toll the hardest on the nine states of the Niger Delta, resulting in a new emergence of violence by new militancy groups.

Despite numerous efforts by either independent organizations or by the Federal Government in convening key stakeholders in the region to collectively explore the imperatives of inclusive economic growth in an environment of dwindling oil prices, little headway has been achieved or documented on a firm way forward for the region.