Delta non-oil sector increasingly contributing to economic growth – Emu, SSG

Kingsley Emu, Secretary to Delta State Government says the Government is deliberately repositioning its economy beyond its traditional identity as a leading oil-producing State.

According to him, services, agriculture and other non-oil sectors are increasingly contributing to economic growth of the State.

Emu, who disclosed this at a recent interactive section with stakeholders ahead the forthcoming Economic and Investment Summit of the State, said over 25 foreign investors had indicated interest in the summit

The SSG, who is the Chairman, Main Organizing Committee of the summit with the theme, “Harnessing Our Strengths and Power’, said the event would connect the state’s vast economic potentials with local and international capital, he said.

He highlighted the economic potentials of the state and the area of comparative advantage, and stressed the need for both foreign and local investors to take advantage of the opportunities and partner with the Government.

“We have four universities owned by the state, so we are providing a new level of manpower. Potential investors can partner freely and easily with our institutions and technical colleges to train manpower tailor-made to suit their operations.

“This presents enormous opportunities in human capital development and availability of skilled manpower, he added.

He pointed out that the State is very strong in agriculture and wants to translate the strength across the entire value chain. For instance, cassava, rice and other agro-products. We want investment that creates value, jobs and sustainable economic activity, he said.

He also identified aquaculture as one of Delta’s strongest but underdeveloped opportunities despite having a huge concentration of fish farmers and fish ponds. The sector, he said requires significant investment in fish feed production, cold rooms and processing facilities.

“Fish feed is one of the most important, expensive and challenging issues for fish farmers. Once you have those feeds available, you can be sure that we will become a major fish basket.

“If we have cold rooms and processing facilities around, our farmers will produce much more. We are looking for investors, both foreign and local, to partner with us to bridge these gaps,” Emu said.

He said the State’s extensive waterways also offers opportunities for commercial fishing, processing and other blue-economy ventures.

On solid minerals, Emu listed kaolin, coal, silica, clay and lignite among resources with commercial potential and explained that some deposits are already attracting concessions and commercial activity.

“Solid mineral opportunities exist here. It is no longer storytelling; the resources are proven and people are already doing business in some of these areas,” he said.

Emu also identified power as a major investment frontier. “Delta’s gas resources and proximity to critical gas infrastructure are competitive advantages for industrial development”, he said.

The Government is exploring decentralized electricity solutions, particularly mini-grids and captive generation, to provide more reliable energy for industrial clusters, manufacturing concerns and commercial centres, he disclosed, adding the preferred model is the mini-grid because the national grid has become a major challenge.

“We have opportunities for power across the state, particularly in our cities and industrial areas where demand is high.
If you have consistent power supply, the economy will do much better. We have the gas, we have the strategic location and we have the opportunity to provide competitive power for industries,” he said.

Emu said the summit would go beyond speeches to include sector-focused engagements, investment matchmaking, site visits and structured follow-up aimed at converting investor interest into bankable projects.

The SSG stated that 25 prospective investors would be coming from Brazil and China.

Other high-powered personalities expected include Kashim Shettima, Vice President of Nigeria; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO); Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

Development finance institutions and leading private-sector players are expected to attend while Austin Avuru, an Engineer and renowned oil and gas industry leader would chair the occasion.