…As Chamber canvasses new strategies for accelerated growth in N/Delta
As the south-south economic zone strives to close a N25 trillion gap with Lagos, the leadership of the zone has appealed to their wealthy sons and daughters to invest at home. This is as experts say Lagos has N59 trn GDP, south-south trails with N34 trillion, posting a N25trn gap to be filled fast. They also point at Lagos airport recording $200m exports per year with Port Harcourt airpot training with mere $20m.
Participants at a business forum in Port Harcourt called for quick actions to restore the ability of the region to compete favourably.
Samuel Ogbuku, managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), in his call at the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) summit in Port Harcourt, urged stakeholders from the region to invest at home and drive development from within.
He said: “Our people are thriving in oil and gas, banking and other sectors. We do not lack capital or capable individuals; what we lack is the commitment to develop our region.”
Ogbuku called for a shift in mindset, urging greater patriotism and intentional reforms to reposition the Niger Delta as an attractive investment destination.
On his own, Idare Gogo Ogan, chairman of the Board of the regional Chamber, said the region has, for decades, been discussed in what he called politically familiar but economically insufficient terms such as derivation, militancy, ecological damage, and amnesty, allegedly with little impact on sustainable growth.
Speaking on the theme; “Creating a New Development Agenda for the Niger Delta Region,” he urged stakeholders to adopt deliberate strategies that harness the region’s vast human and natural endowments.
He noted that the nine Niger Delta states account for about one-fifth of Nigeria’s economy, making the region critical to the country’s external earnings, gas reserves, maritime access and environmental sustainability.
According to him, the challenge is not the absence of opportunities, but the weak conversion of those opportunities into bankable and financeable projects.
“The region must distinguish between near-term bankable projects, medium-term strategic platforms and long-term transformational ambitions.
Security, power, logistics and project preparation remain the operating system of the regional economy and must be prioritised,” he added.
Ogan explained that the roundtable was conceived as a working forum to move stakeholders beyond broad declarations to practical commitments, urging states and institutions to clearly define their comparative advantages, infrastructure gaps and reform priorities within the next 12 to 24 months.
He called for a strategic shift in the region’s development approach, warning that persistent reliance on politically driven narratives has failed to deliver meaningful economic progress.
Secretary of the board, Solomon Edebiri, highlighted the region’s underperformance in export activity, noting that while Lagos records about $200 million in annual air exports, Port Harcourt accounts for just about $20,000.
He said the chamber aims to redefine the business direction of the Niger Delta by mentoring and supporting enterprises, while promoting dialogue to address regulatory, infrastructure and security challenges.
According to him, the roundtable is also expected to identify emerging opportunities beyond oil and gas, improve access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and enhance the ease of doing business in the region.
Edebiri added that although the South-West currently leads with an estimated GDP of N59 trillion, the Niger Delta follows with about N34 trillion, leaving a gap of roughly N25 trillion.
He stressed the need to bridge the gap by unlocking the region’s vast untapped potential, noting that sustained economic growth would significantly reduce unemployment and curb militancy.
