The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has challenged the nine Niger Delta states to establish viable Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and build the infrastructure needed to transform the region into Nigeria’s next major industrial and trade hub.
Okonjo-Iweala said the Niger Delta had the natural resources, strategic location and human capital to emerge as a major economic powerhouse alongside Lagos, but warned that resource abundance alone could not deliver sustainable development. She spoke at the inaugural Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit organised by the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The WTO chief said the region must deliberately reduce the cost of doing business, improve project execution and maintenance, modernise its ports and strengthen digital infrastructure to attract and retain investment.
“The situation of the Niger Delta people is far from satisfactory. The region needs to try to 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.”

Okonjo-Iweala’s call came as stakeholders at the summit pushed for a coordinated regional economic strategy to end the dependence on oil and unlock the investment potential of the Niger Delta.

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the commission was supporting the growth of businesses in the region through an initial N5 billion fund being developed in partnership with NDCCITMA. Ogbuku identified the people of the Niger Delta, particularly their human capital, as the region’s greatest resource, stressing that building their capacity was essential to achieving sustainable economic growth.

He called for stronger collaboration among the Niger Delta states and advocated the establishment of a regional think tank to develop and coordinate ideas capable of driving industrialisation. According to him, investors require an enabling environment as well as the active participation of the people of the region.
Ogbuku said the states could jointly develop critical infrastructure such as power plants, rail lines and regional roads to strengthen economic integration and reduce the cost of doing business. He also expressed concern over capital flight from the region, saying international companies had continued to exploit the region’s resources without creating commensurate employment and other economic opportunities for its people.

The Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr Chiedu Ebie, said the commission would continue to work with the Niger Delta states and other stakeholders to prevent duplication of projects and ensure that development efforts were better coordinated.
The summit’s keynote speaker, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, urged the region’s political and business elite to abandon what he described as a culture of lamentation and develop a clear development compass.
“We need to move from a rent economy to a regional and productive economy.”

Aig-Imoukhuede said the Niger Delta could deploy its resources to become an economic powerhouse in Africa, stressing that transformation required deliberate execution rather than promises.
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by the Director-General of the Delta State Investment Development Agency, Olorogun Lucky Oghene-Umoru, said the state had established a $100 million investment fund as part of efforts to attract investors. He assured investors of a secure business environment, saying his administration was pursuing economic diversification to reduce dependence on oil revenue.

President-General of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali, said the region possessed sufficient resources and opportunities to transform its economic fortunes.
The Chairman of NDCCITMA, Ambassador Idaere Ogan, said the summit was designed to move the region from rhetoric to concrete investment opportunities. He urged the governors of the nine Niger Delta states and chambers of commerce across the region to align their priorities and develop a unified economic agenda.
“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 added that no single state or institution could unlock the region’s full potential in isolation, stressing the need for a coordinated approach among all nine states to fully harness the economic promise the summit had put on display.