Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Sunday arrived in Asaba ahead of the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit, which begins on Monday at the Dome Event Centre, Asaba.
The Vice President is expected to formally declare the summit open on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, while Dr. Okonjo-Iweala will deliver the keynote address.
Upon arrival at the Asaba International Airport, Vice President Shettima was received by the Governor of Delta State and Chief Host of the Summit, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, accompanied by members of the State Executive Council and other senior government officials.
Similarly, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, an illustrious daughter of Delta State, was received at the airport by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Hon. Prince Johnson Erijo, alongside top government functionaries.
Also on Sunday, renowned Pan-African scholar, jurist and governance advocate, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, arrived in Asaba to participate in the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit. He was received at the Asaba International Airport by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukari, on behalf of the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, and the Delta State Government.
Prof. Lumumba’s participation further underscores the summit’s growing profile as a strategic platform for policy dialogue, investment promotion and sustainable development. He is expected to contribute to discussions on leadership, governance and Africa’s economic transformation during the three-day event.
The summit, themed “Harnessing Our Strengths, Unlocking Our Potentials,” is expected to attract an impressive array of policymakers, business leaders, captains of industry, development partners and investors from within and outside Nigeria. Delegates from Brazil and China are among the international investors expected to participate in strategic investment engagements aimed at unlocking Delta State’s immense economic potential and strengthening global partnerships.
The three-day summit will focus on critical sectors of the economy, including industrialisation, agriculture and agribusiness, the Delta Special Economic Zone, manufacturing, energy, solid minerals, the blue economy, transport and logistics, tourism, digital innovation, and infrastructure development. The event is designed to showcase Delta State’s comparative advantages, stimulate private sector investment, promote strategic partnerships and accelerate sustainable economic growth and job creation.
Leading financial institutions are also expected to play a pivotal role during the summit. The Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers of Zenith Bank Plc, NEXIM Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Premium Trust Bank, Globus Bank and Fidelity Bank will participate in high-level investment and financing sessions focused on project financing, public-private partnerships and innovative funding models for strategic development initiatives in Delta State.
Speaking ahead of the summit, the Director-General of the Delta State Bureau for Communications and Orientation and member of the Summit Steering Committee, Olorogun Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, described the arrival of Vice President Shettima, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala and Prof. Lumumba as a significant endorsement of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration’s economic transformation agenda and its commitment to positioning Delta State as Nigeria’s preferred investment destination.
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He noted that the calibre of participants expected at the summit, including international investors from Brazil and China, chief executives of leading financial institutions, development partners, Prof. Lumumba and other industry leaders, reflects the growing confidence of both local and global investors in Delta State’s investment climate and economic prospects.
Oghenesivbe expressed confidence that the summit would culminate in concrete investment commitments that would expand the state’s economy, create sustainable employment opportunities, enhance industrial development and further position Delta State as one of Nigeria’s foremost destinations for both domestic and foreign direct investment.