The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, says Niger Delta state governments need to establish Special Economic Zones 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 possessed the ingredients to become Nigeria’s next great industrial hub, standing alongside Lagos as an engine of the national economy.
The WTO DG, according to a statement by Seledi Thompson-Wakama, Director, Corporate Affairs, NDDC, stressed that abundant natural resources alone would not guarantee development, calling for improved project execution, better maintenance culture, efficient ports, enhanced digital infrastructure and lower trade costs.
She stated: “The situation of the Niger Delta people is far from satisfactory. The region needs to try and do better. We have a few things going on for us as a region. NDCCITMA can take the lead and attract investors. The region can position itself to become a trade hub because our region is endowed.”
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said 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 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 emphasised the need for greater collaboration among the people and governments of the Niger Delta states to industrialise the region and advocated setting up a think tank to galvanise 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.
The Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr Chiedu Ebie, thanked Niger Delta stakeholders for coming together to chart a new roadmap to economic development.
He assured that the NDDC would continue to collaborate with the Niger Delta state governments and other stakeholders to avoid duplication of projects and efforts in the region.
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, 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.
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.
The Board Chairman of the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture, NDCCITMA, Ambassador Idaere Ogan, stated that the Niger Delta states must reposition their strengths: enterprise, resources, and strategic relevance to Nigeria and Africa. The focus must shift from narrative to execution, from potential to bankable outcomes.
He said: “This is not a ceremonial gathering. It is a structured investment platform designed to mobilise capital, accelerate enterprise growth, and align regional development efforts.”
He called on the governors of the nine Niger Delta states and chambers of commerce across the region to align, present priority opportunities, and support a unified economic agenda, noting: “No single state or institution can unlock the region’s full potential in isolation.”
