Tinubu, Barbadian PM to Lead Inaugural Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit

President Bola Tinubu and the Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, are set to attend the inaugural Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit and Exhibition, taking place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from May 19 to May 21, 2026. The summit, themed “Driving Investment, Innovation and Industrial Growth in the Niger Delta,” will feature Tinubu as the special guest of honour, while Mottley delivers the keynote address, offering a global perspective on economic transformation.

Ambassador Idaere Gogo-Ogan, President of the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA), emphasized at a pre-summit press conference that the event is designed to be more than just a meeting. He described it as a strategic platform for investment mobilisation, enterprise growth, industrial expansion, and regional coordination, aiming to shift the Niger Delta from an extraction-based economy to a hub for innovation and shared prosperity.

Gogo-Ogan also called on governors from the nine Niger Delta states—Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers—to embrace the summit as a regional initiative rather than the project of any single institution. He urged them to present state-specific investment opportunities, support policy and infrastructure reforms, and collectively showcase the region’s strengths to global investors.

The NDCCITMA president further appealed to local chambers of commerce and business associations to unite under a shared agenda, emphasizing the importance of the organised private sector speaking with one voice. “This is our moment to move from discussion to delivery, from potential to productivity, and from a region known mainly for extraction to one recognised for value creation and innovation,” he stated.

Chief Solomon Edebiri, NDCCITMA board secretary, highlighted that the recently concluded Niger Delta Roundtable identified significant investment opportunities across agriculture, agro-processing, gas-based industries, energy, marine and blue economy, manufacturing, and industrial clusters. These sectors are expected to attract investors seeking to leverage the region’s untapped potential during the summit.

source: leadership