Twenty five prospective investors from Brazil and a wider group from China have already signalled interest in Delta State’s upcoming Investment and Economic Summit, according to Secretary to the State Government Kingsley Emu, who says the state is entering the event with specific, bankable investment proposals rather than a broad promotional pitch.
Emu, who chairs the summit’s main organising committee, told stakeholders in Asaba that the event, themed Harnessing Our Strengths, Unlocking Our Potential, will draw Vice President Kashim Shettima, World Trade Organisation Director General Ngozi Okonjo Iweala as keynote speaker, Minister of Finance Taiwo Oyedele, development finance institutions and leading private sector players, with veteran oil and gas executive Austin Avuru chairing proceedings. He said preparations are already underway for the visiting Brazilian and Chinese investors, all of whom are seeking local partners drawn from the state’s own business community, and stressed that the summit’s ultimate success will depend on the cooperation and positive engagement of Delta’s own people.
Delta’s pitch rests on specific sectors, Emu said, identifying agriculture, aquaculture, power, oil and gas, solid minerals, manufacturing and the blue economy as priorities, backed by fundamentals including a youthful population, extensive land and waterways, established oil and gas resources, growing infrastructure and a wide network of tertiary and technical institutions capable of training workers tailored to investors’ specific needs. He singled out cassava, rice and other agricultural produce as areas ripe for value chain investment, and pointed to aquaculture as one of the state’s strongest yet most underdeveloped opportunities, noting Delta has a large concentration of fish farmers and ponds but needs serious investment in fish feed production, cold storage and processing facilities before it can fully capitalise on that base. On solid minerals, he listed kaolin, coal, silica, clay and lignite as resources with proven commercial potential, some already attracting concessions, and identified power as a major frontier given the state’s gas resources and proximity to gas infrastructure, saying government is exploring mini grids and captive generation as more reliable alternatives to the national grid for industrial clusters and manufacturing zones. He said the summit itself will go beyond speeches, including sector focused engagements, investment matchmaking, site visits and structured follow up meant to convert investor interest into actual bankable projects.
Commissioner for Works, Rural Roads and Public Information Charles Aniagwu challenged local business leaders to see themselves as investors and strategic partners rather than passive attendees, arguing that while foreign investors bring bigger capital, local business owners bring a deeper stake in the outcome, and urged them to consider pooling resources into partnerships that make otherwise difficult projects achievable, and to think beyond the summit itself toward sustained participation afterward. Speaking for the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Janet Olisa said the organised private sector is fully on board and confident that public private collaboration will make the summit a genuinely worthwhile exercise.
