…As FG, King Pepple, Investors Rally Behind New Economic Future

 

Bonny Island is seeking to rewrite its economic story — from a kingdom widely known for oil and gas to a destination where tourism, culture, investment and local enterprise drive a new wave of opportunities.

That ambition received a major boost at the Bonny Island Tourism and Investment Summit, where the Federal Government, the traditional institution and private-sector stakeholders rallied behind a development model that places the people, culture and environment of Bonny at the heart of its tourism future.

Representing the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Mrs Hannatu Musawa, the Director-General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority, Dr Olayiwola Awakan, said Bonny could only compete as a major destination if its tourism assets were deliberately developed, connected, packaged and marketed.

Musawa stressed that tourism development must go beyond building isolated attractions to include better transportation and connectivity, accommodation, visitor services, entertainment, cultural experiences, security, digital visibility, environmental protection and effective destination management.

She said the people of Bonny must be active participants in the emerging tourism economy.
“The people must not simply be spectators of tourism development. They must be beneficiaries, owners, custodians and ambassadors of the destination,” she said.

The minister also drew attention to Bonny’s coastal and mangrove ecosystems, describing them as valuable tourism assets that must be protected as investment and development expand.

The Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, welcomed responsible investment in the kingdom, describing tourism as a potential engine for economic diversification, employment and community development.

The monarch said Bonny’s centuries-old history of commerce, trade and diplomacy, alongside its waterways, islands, beaches, creeks, historic sites, festivals, regattas, cuisine, music and cultural traditions, gives the kingdom the ingredients for a thriving tourism economy.

He urged stakeholders to move Bonny beyond its traditional identity as an industrial and energy hub and position it as a destination for tourism, culture, enterprise, investment and innovation.

According to him, tourism could create jobs, stimulate small businesses, empower women and young people, strengthen cultural preservation and attract infrastructure while giving communities a direct stake in economic development.

He called for investment in hospitality, waterfront development, transportation, entertainment, cultural industries, ecotourism, sports tourism, creative industries, fisheries, agriculture and skills development.

But the monarch warned that development must not come at the expense of Bonny’s heritage and environment.

“Investment and development must grow hand-in-hand with responsibility,” he said.

He advocated transparent partnerships among government, investors, development agencies, corporate organisations and communities, supported by clear roadmaps for tourism and investment development.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Tony Attah, said Bonny’s tourism story should not be framed as the discovery of an unknown destination.

Rather, he described the “Discover Bonny” initiative as an invitation to the world to experience a kingdom whose history, culture, heritage and hospitality are already well established.

“We are not discovering Bonny,” Attah said, stressing that the people of the kingdom have long understood its enormous potential.

He described the initiative as a new chapter for Bonny and an opportunity to build an economy that complements its longstanding energy industry.

According to Attah, successful tourism destinations are built around compelling stories, accessibility, standards, safety, security and the hospitality of their people — qualities he said Bonny could develop around its rich cultural and environmental assets.

He noted that the kingdom already has a strong foundation in its history, heritage and improving connectivity by sea, air and road.

Attah said Renaissance Africa Energy‘s support for the initiative was driven by the belief that businesses thrive when communities and other stakeholders also succeed.

He called for coordinated efforts to develop the infrastructure needed to attract visitors while maintaining safety and security.

“The objective should not be to change Bonny,” he said, but to help the kingdom realise its full potential and confidently present its identity to the world.

He pledged the company’s continued support for initiatives capable of turning Bonny’s tourism vision into investments, businesses and lasting opportunities for its people.

The summit therefore presented a shared vision: to make Bonny’s future less dependent on what lies beneath its land and waters and increasingly defined by what exists above them — its people, culture, heritage, environment and entrepreneurial potential.