PIND Welcomes Back Sam Daibo as Executive Director, Signals Renewed Vision for Niger Delta Development
The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has announced the appointment of Mr. Sam Ogbemi Daibo as its new Executive Director, a significant leadership transition that is expected to deepen the Foundation’s impact across the region.
Mr. Daibo takes over the helm from Mr. Tunji Idowu, who is retiring after steering the organization through a period of transformative growth, expanded partnerships, and measurable development outcomes.
His return is seen as both a homecoming and a catalyst for continuity, bringing renewed ambition to PIND’s mission of promoting peacebuilding and sustainable economic development in the Niger Delta.
With more than 35 years of experience spanning development strategy, stakeholder engagement, public policy, and private sector leadership, Sam Daibo is no stranger to the Foundation or the region it serves. He previously led PIND as Executive Director between 2013 and 2016, a period widely regarded as pivotal in the organization’s evolution.
Under his earlier leadership, PIND recorded remarkable growth and solidified its position as a credible development partner. Daibo institutionalized platforms such as the Niger Delta Development Forum and forged strategic alliances with global development agencies including USAID, GIZ, DFID, UNDP, and the Ford Foundation. These partnerships helped scale peacebuilding initiatives and economic development programmes across the region, further enhancing PIND’s reputation for delivering results-driven interventions.
Mr. Daibo’s return follows a distinguished career at Chevron Nigeria Limited, where he most recently served as Director of Government Affairs. In that role, he spearheaded critical engagements with government bodies, traditional institutions, and development organizations. Notably, he played a key role in conceptualizing and implementing Chevron’s General Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) model, a landmark community engagement strategy that has since influenced national policy. This model laid the groundwork for the Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) now enshrined in Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021.
His reappointment comes at a crucial time as PIND seeks to consolidate past achievements while navigating emerging development challenges in the Niger Delta. With Daibo at the helm, the Foundation is expected to bolster its legacy of inclusive development and strengthen its collaborative footprint in the region.
