The Delta State Government, Monday, said 25 prospective investors from Brazil and China have indicated interest in the forthcoming Delta State Investment and Economic Summit, as Vice President Kashim Shettima and Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Patrice Lumumba headline a high-powered list of participants.
Secretary to the State Government, SSG, and Chairman of the Main Organising Committee, Kingsley Emu, disclosed this during an interactive session with stakeholders in Asaba, saying the summit would connect the state’s vast economic potentials with local and international capital.
Emu said the summit with the theme: “Harnessing Our Strengths and Potential,” would also attract the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, development finance institutions and leading private-sector players, while renowned oil and gas industry leader, Austin Avuru, would serve as chairman.
Emu stressed that local businesses would play a critical role in translating foreign investor interest into sustainable economic activity, noting that prospective investors were already seeking credible indigenous partners.
Read also:
- Okugbe Isoko for Sheriff reaffirms support for Gov. Oborevwori, Tinubu
- Gov. Oborevwori woos Brazilian investors, showcases Delta’s economic potentials in São Paulo
- Gov. Oborevwori inaugurates 30 housing units for soldiers in Delta
“For every potential investor who has expressed interest, they are talking about local partners, and those partners will come from among our people.
“The significant success we will achieve on this journey will depend on your cooperation, collaboration and positive disposition to what we want to do,” he told stakeholders.
The SSG said the state is approaching the summit with clearly defined and bankable investment propositions rather than a broad promotional agenda, identifying agriculture, aquaculture, power, oil and gas, solid minerals, manufacturing and the blue economy as priority sectors.
According to him, Delta State possesses strong economic fundamentals, including a youthful population, extensive land and waterways, abundant oil and gas resources, expanding infrastructure and a broad network of tertiary, technical and vocational institutions.
“We have a lot of strengths. We are one of Nigeria’s leading subnational economies, with a youthful population and enormous consumption potential.
“We have vast land and water resources that give us a competitive advantage, particularly in the blue and marine economy,” he said.
Emu said the state is deliberately repositioning beyond its traditional identity as a leading oil-producing state, with services, agriculture and other non-oil sectors increasingly contributing to economic growth.
The SSG described aquaculture as one of Delta’s strongest but underdeveloped opportunities, saying the state has a huge concentration of fish farmers and fish ponds but requires significant investment in fish feed production, cold rooms and processing facilities.
He said the state’s extensive waterways also offer opportunities for commercial fishing, processing and other blue-economy ventures.
On solid minerals, Emu listed kaolin, coal, silica, clay and lignite among resources with commercial potential, stressing that some deposits were already attracting concessions and commercial activity.
Emu also identified power as a major investment frontier, citing Delta’s gas resources and proximity to critical gas infrastructure as competitive advantages for industrial development.
He said the government iss exploring decentralised electricity solutions, particularly mini-grids and captive generation, to provide more reliable energy for industrial clusters, manufacturing concerns and commercial centres.
The SSG said the summit would go beyond speeches to include sector-focused engagements, investment matchmaking, site visits and structured follow-up aimed at converting investor interest into bankable projects.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Janet Olisa said the organised private sector is fully on board and ready to partner with the state government.
She expressed confidence that sustained public-private collaboration would help translate the summit into tangible investments, job creation and broader economic growth.
