Okonjo-Iweala Berates
By Akpekwu Imbufe, Southsouth Regional Editor
The Director-General of the World Trade Organis,ation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, says the economic situation in the Niger Delta region is unsatisfactory and thus, recommended that the nine states governments that constitute the zone needs to establish Special Economic centers to drive industrialisation.
Speaking during the inaugural Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Okonjo-Iweala said the Niger Delta region possesses the ingredients to become Nigeria’s next great industrial hub, standing alongside Lagos State as an engine of national economy.
Okonjo-Iweala stressed that abundant natural resources alone is not a guarantee to development, calling for improved project execution, better maintenance culture, efficient ports, enhanced digital infrastructure and lower trade costs.
The summit, which held from the 15th-17th September 2026, has the themed “Driving Investment, Innovation & Industrial Growth in the Niger Delta,” brought together key stakeholders, investors, policymakers, development partners and business leaders to explore opportunities for sustainable economic development in the region.
Prior, at a press briefing heralding the summit, the Board Chairman of the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture, NDCCITMA, Ambassador Idaere Ogan, identified the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and the governments of the nine Niger Delta states as development partners in building a sustainable regional investment ecosystem.
Ogan said the Summit was a strategic, private-sector-led platform to mobilise investment and unlock the Niger Delta region’s economic potential, anchored on the theme: Driving Investment, Innovation and Industrial Growth in the Niger Delta;
“Our vision is to bring together the nine Niger Delta states, the Federal Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission, organized private sector, domestic and international investors, development finance institutions, multilateral organisations, financial institutions, project developers and other strategic partners around a common objective and to transform the Niger Delta from a predominantly resource-dependent economy into a diversified, productive, industrialized and globally competitive regional economy;
“The Summit was designed not merely as another conference, but as an investment and transaction platform that the region possesses opportunities far beyond crude oil. From gas and petrochemicals to agriculture and agro-processing; maritime and blue economy, manufacturing; aviation and transportation; renewable energy; tourism; digital economy; logistics; infrastructure and financial services, the Niger Delta possesses the resources and market opportunities required to become one of Africa’s leading investment destinations;
“We intends to showcase strategic investment opportunities capable of transforming the regional economy, including agro-industrial and oil-palm value chains, gas utilization and gas-based industries, regional transportation and aviation, maritime infrastructure, industrial and logistics hubs, renewable energy, manufacturing, skills development, digital infrastructure and other high-impact projects.
The Counsel to the Legal Representative of NDCCITMA, Mr Sammie Somiari, SAN, affirmed that the Summit organiser was committed to conducting its activities in accordance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
He added that in a suit filed by the founder of NDEIS, Kenule Nwiya Jnr, over an alleged trademark infringement, the court restrained the plaintiff from further interfering with the Summit being planned by the NDCCITMA.
During the conference, the NDDC Managing Director said the Niger Delta’s greatest resource was its people, particularly its human resources, stressing the need to build their capacity to drive economic growth in the region.
He emphasized the need for greater collaboration among the people and governments of the Niger Delta states to industrialize the region and advocated setting up a think tank to galvanize ideas.
According to him, global investors require an enabling environment, including investment and active participation by the people of the region.
Ogbuku stated that through greater collaboration, the states in the region could jointly develop critical infrastructure, including power stations, rail lines and regional roads, to facilitate economic integration and development.
He regretted the continued capital flight from the region, where international companies benefit from its resources without creating adequate employment opportunities and other economic benefits for the people.
Dr. Ogbuku
The Summit keynote speaker, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, called on the elite in the Niger Delta region to move away from lamentation and begin to formulate a development compass. “We need to move from a rent economy to a regional and productive economy,” he stressed.
Aig-Imoukhuede said the Niger Delta must use its resources to become Africa’s economic powerhouse, warning that real transformation across the continent would depend on deliberate execution rather than promises alone.
In his goodwill message, the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, said his state had provided $100 million investment fund was a bold step toward attracting investors.
The Governor, who was represented by the Director-General of the Delta State Investment Development Agency, Olorogun Lucky Oghene-Umoru, assured investors of a secure business environment, stressing that his administration was pursuing economic diversification to reduce the state’s dependence on oil revenue.
A road in Niger DeltaOther goodwill speeches from the President-General of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali, affirmed that the region was blessed with resources and opportunities capable of transforming its economic fortunes and the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture, NDCCITMA, was bringing to bear the vision of the NDDC to grow businesses in the region through an initial N5 billion fund.
The Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) is a private-sector-led business membership organization initiated by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to promote sustainable trade, industrial growth, and economic diversification across the nine Niger Delta states.
