…As Sanusi, Moghalu, Kpakol grace two-day event
Expectations are high that deals would be sealed and signed at the Rivers Investment and Economic Summit starting Wednesday, May 22, 2024.
Already, government officials and summit managers have seen hanging fruits which the state would pluck to hit the ground running.
Joe Johnson, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, who threw light on the direction of the summit said Nigeria’s top figures in the finance and investment world were expected to grace the two-day event.
Johnson mentioned Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, former emir of Kano, who will chair the summit, and the likes of Kingsley Moghalu, a renowned economist, and a Rivers-born economist and financial expert, Magnus Kpakol.
Several experts who would serve on various panels were unveiled at the morning press briefing Monday, May 20, 2024, in Government House.
The publicity sub-committee is chaired by Emma Okah and supported by Ibim Semenitari, each a former commissioner for information and communications who managed information for more than one term.
On gains of the summit, the information bosses it would look deeply into areas that worry the state and proffer solutions. They said investors want to know how prepared the present administration was in doing business and working with investors.
“We want to show that Rivers State is ready and open for business,” he said.
In further explanation, Johnson said visibility is already beamed on Rivers State as most economic summits are wont to do to any entity organising it.
Semenitari added that economic summit also positions the mind of government. Already, she added, some business deals are on the table of some investors and some of such deals may be signed off. She explained that government only provides the platform while deals go mostly between businesses. “Investment decisions are expected.”
On power, she said renewable energy is the key agenda and that a government policy paper on businesses would evolve from the summit.
Adding her voice, Semenitari said Nigeria’s economy is a tripod: Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Abuja. “We know Lagos is commerce headquarters, Abuja is policy headquarters, but PH is where the money is made. It is where the oil is made that makes the money. PH has power assets. Most of the thermal stations come from the oil region. Rivers State has power stations at Omoku, Trans-Amadi, and Afam. She said it is good that power has been decentralised for states to play in and make laws on, and reminded Nigerians that the struggle to decentralise power and give states a say began in Rivers State during the Peter Odili administration.”
She noted that the destination of the blue economy or green economy is Rivers State with seven rivers whereas most other states including Lagos have one major river each.
She stated that the creative economy has Rivers State as destination. “Literally every major artist in Nigeria has a link with PH.”
On the new economy and the ICT revolution, she said Rivers State is a hub because the investments in it began years back.
She said the summit would launch Rivers State on a faster lane for economic development and expose various opportunities for investors in all sectors.
Earlier, the commissioner for Information had given an overview, saying Day One would be chaired by Moghalu and Kpakol. “These are seasoned economists and financial experts.”
He said that the day two would be chaired by the former Emir of Kano, Sanusi, while the thematic areas include education, technology, empowerment, power, agriculture, the new economy, government policy thrust and ease of doing business action plans.
He said many speakers have been lined up. There will be keynote address that would expose what the government has in mind for manufacturing and attracting investments; the construction development, renewable energy, blue economy, creative economy, economic growth and development, rural development and agriculture.
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