Key Points
- NDDC says it will support tourism development to diversify the Niger Delta economy beyond oil and gas.
- The commission will support a three-year programme aimed at developing Bonny Kingdom as a globally competitive tourism destination.
- Stakeholders say private-sector investment will be important to making the tourism industry commercially viable.
Main Story
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it will support tourism development in the region as part of efforts to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on oil and gas.
The commission’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this in a statement issued by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, and made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Ogbuku spoke at the Bonny Island Tourism and Investment Summit, organised by the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BCCIMA).
The summit, themed “Bonny Island: Transforming into a Premier Global Destination”, focused on developing tourism as a new economic pillar for Bonny Kingdom.
Represented by the Director of Commercial and Industrial Development, Mrs Lyna Okara, Ogbuku said the “Discover Bonny and Orange Economy” initiative would support economic transformation in the kingdom and the wider Niger Delta.
He said the NDDC would support the three-year strategic programme aimed at transforming Bonny Kingdom and the Niger Delta into a globally competitive tourism destination.
According to him, the initiative would create opportunities for enterprise development and investment while supporting sustainable economic activity in Bonny and the wider region.
Ogbuku said tourism extended beyond the hospitality industry, with implications for sectors including security, communication, finance, education and healthcare.
He commended BCCIMA for mobilising capital, supporting innovation and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and emerging businesses in Bonny and the Niger Delta.
The NDDC boss said the commission remained committed to sustainable development, economic empowerment, infrastructure and human capital development across the region.
He added that the commission would continue working with economic development institutions and private investors to empower youths, support start-ups and create new economic opportunities.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, Dr Olayiwola Awakan, said Bonny Island had numerous tourism attractions that were yet to be fully developed.
Awakan said private-sector participation was essential to ensuring that Bonny’s tourism economy remained commercially viable rather than depending solely on government funding.
The President of BCCIMA, Dr Constance Nwokejiobi, said the Orange Economy initiative would complement Bonny’s traditional oil and gas economy with a sustainable tourism industry.
Nwokejiobi said the initiative would leverage the kingdom’s cultural heritage, historical sites, natural attractions and hospitality potential to attract tourists and investors.
She said the plans included establishing a Tourism Concierge Platform, an investor partnership framework and a privately driven Tourism Centre.
The traditional ruler of Grand Bonny Kingdom, King Edward Pepple III, said Bonny had a proud history and remained endowed with oil and gas resources.
Pepple said tourism could provide a second, more sustainable economic pillar for the kingdom while creating opportunities for residents.
He also said Bonny’s existing oil and gas investments had contributed significantly to Nigeria’s economy.
The Issues
Bonny’s economy has traditionally been associated with oil and gas, while stakeholders are now seeking to develop tourism and other activities as additional sources of economic growth.
The proposed tourism programme is intended to build on Bonny’s cultural heritage, historical sites and natural attractions while creating opportunities for businesses and investors.
What’s Being Said
“This initiative would promote enterprise development, attract investment and create sustainable economic opportunities for both people of Bonny and the Niger Delta,” — Samuel Ogbuku
“For decades, when the world thought of Bonny, it thought of what was under the water, not what was on top of it. Oil and gas built roads, schools and jetties that still put food on tables. Today, Bonny is finding a new path through tourism,” — Samuel Ogbuku
“Tourism is Nigeria’s Orange Economy, a creative and service-driven growth engine, capable of diversifying and expanding our national Gross Domestic Product beyond oil and gas,” — Constance Nwokejiobi
What’s Next
The NDDC will support the three-year strategic programme, while BCCIMA and other stakeholders pursue investment and tourism development initiatives in Bonny.
Private-sector participation is expected to play an important role in developing tourism infrastructure and ensuring the sector becomes commercially sustainable.
Bottom Line
The NDDC plans to support tourism development in Bonny and the wider Niger Delta as an additional economic pillar, with stakeholders seeking to attract investment and create opportunities beyond oil and gas.
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