The Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) has unveiled plans to attract up to $5 billion in investment to generate more than 500,000 jobs across the Niger Delta region.
The Board Chairman of NDCCITMA, Idaere Ogan, disclosed this during a media briefing with journalists on Monday in Port Harcourt, ahead of the Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit (NDEI Summit) scheduled for May.
Ogan said the summit would serve as a structured investment marketplace, featuring a “Deal Room” of between 30 and 50 pre-screened, investment-ready projects spanning critical sectors of the regional economy.
According to him, the identified opportunities cut across agro-industry and food security, manufacturing and industrial clusters, infrastructure and logistics, as well as the blue economy and marine enterprise.
Other sectors include tourism and the creative economy, technology and digital innovation, gas commercialisation, human capital development, and access to finance.
He explained that the project pipeline is designed to balance ambition with practicality, highlighting key initiatives such as the Niger Delta Rural and Urban Mobility Scheme aimed at improving connectivity between communities and markets.
Additional projects include an Agro Food Hub and Integrated Logistics System to boost processing, storage, and market access, alongside a Cargo Flight System to enhance commercial freight connectivity in the region.
Ogan also revealed plans for a proposed Niger Delta Science and Technology Park, which will serve as a hub for innovation, enterprise development, and startup growth.
Other initiatives include greenhouse agriculture projects, an Export Trade Programme to prepare businesses for international markets, and an Investment Partnership Scheme to link investors with viable opportunities.
“These are not abstract ideas. They are practical vehicles for jobs, productivity, trade, enterprise growth, and investor confidence,” Ogan said.
He added that the chamber aims to catalyse up to $5 billion in structured investment commitments over the next five years, noting that successful execution could generate over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Ogan further disclosed that more than 4,000 nano, micro, and small enterprises have already benefited from intervention support under the NDCCITMA framework, supported by an initial N5 billion financing tranche.
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He said the upcoming summit is a follow-up to the Niger Delta Business Roundtable and is aimed at repositioning the region by diversifying its economy beyond oil through investments in agriculture, manufacturing, gas value chains, logistics, tourism, marine enterprise, and the digital economy.
The NDCCITMA chairman called on governors of Niger Delta states, chambers of commerce, and investors to collaborate in driving sustainable development in the region.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Solomon Edebiri, said the summit would unlock multiple benefits, including increased investment inflows, job creation, youth empowerment, improved infrastructure, and stronger public-private partnerships.
He added that the initiative is expected to enhance the business environment and accelerate economic transformation across the Niger Delta.
