The Delta State Economic and Investment Summit 2026 has underscored Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s commitment to the full realisation of the MORE Agenda through a strategic economic blueprint and investor incentives aimed at repositioning Delta State as one of Nigeria’s leading industrial and investment hubs.
The Director-General of the Delta State Bureau for Orientation and Communications, Olorogun Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, Esq., who spoke to newsmen on Day 2 of the Delta Economic and Investment Summit, said the Governor’s economic initiatives reflect a deliberate policy direction to create an enabling environment for businesses, attract capital and ensure that economic growth translates into improved livelihoods for Deltans.
He said the blueprint is designed to transform Delta from a predominantly resource-based economy into a diversified, productive and investment-driven economy capable of attracting global capital, creating sustainable employment and promoting inclusive prosperity.
Oghenesivbe stated that the US$100 million Viability Gap Fund announced to de-risk strategic private-sector investments represents a major intervention that will unlock private capital, reduce investment barriers, improve project bankability and strengthen investor confidence in key sectors of the state’s economy.
He explained that for a state with an estimated economy of about ₦17 trillion, the objective is to maximise the value of Delta’s natural resources, infrastructure, workforce and strategic location while encouraging long-term investments in energy, agriculture, manufacturing, logistics and other critical sectors.
According to him, Delta’s economic transformation strategy is anchored on diversification, industrialisation and sustainable wealth creation beyond crude oil dependence. He noted that the state’s natural gas reserves, refining assets, coastline, maritime opportunities, fertile agricultural land and solid mineral resources provide the foundation for expanding industrial value chains.
The Bureau Director-General identified commercial agriculture as a key pillar of the state’s economic empowerment programme, noting that the allocation of more than 12,000 hectares for large-scale agricultural development would support agro-processing, storage, transportation, exports and rural enterprise growth while creating jobs and increasing household incomes.
He also described the blue economy as a major opportunity for economic expansion, stressing that Delta’s 163-kilometre coastline provides significant prospects in maritime logistics, fisheries, aquaculture, offshore services and coastal industries that can attract investors and increase the state’s contribution to Nigeria’s export economy.
Oghenesivbe further noted that energy remains central to Delta’s industrial future, adding that investments in gas-fired power generation, renewable energy, solar farms and mini-grid infrastructure would strengthen the state’s position as an emerging energy-industrial corridor. Reliable and affordable power, he said, would reduce production costs and improve competitiveness.
He said Delta’s combination of energy resources, maritime access, industrial capacity and export potential gives it a unique advantage among Nigeria’s commercial centres.
The successful implementation of the economic blueprint, he added, would create jobs, strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises, expand local supply chains, increase internally generated revenue and position Delta as a preferred destination for investors seeking sustainable growth opportunities in Nigeria and Africa.