NDDC Pledges Support for Three-Year Plan to Position Bonny Kingdom as Global Tourism Hub

BONNY, Rivers State — The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has expressed commitment to a three-year strategic programme aimed at transforming Bonny Kingdom into a globally competitive tourism destination.

The assurance was given on Thursday at the Bonny Island Tourism and Investment Summit in Bonny by the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, who was represented by the Commission’s Director of Commercial and Industrial Development, Mrs Lyna Okara.

The summit, organised by the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BCCIMA) under the theme “Bonny Island: Transforming into a Premier Global Destination,” unveiled the “Discover Bonny and Orange Economy” initiative.

Dr Ogbuku described the initiative as a strategic approach to economic transformation through enterprise development and investment promotion. He said tourism extends beyond hospitality and has direct implications for security, communications, finance, education, and health.

“Tourism is not confined to the hospitality sector but is all-encompassing, with impact on security, communications, finance, education, health, and enhancing economic growth sustainably,” he said.

The NDDC chief noted that while Bonny had historically been identified with oil and gas, the kingdom was now seeking alternative economic pathways.

“For decades, when the world thought of Bonny, it thought of one thing, namely, what was under the water, not what was on top of it. Oil and gas built roads, schools, jetties that still put food on tables. Today, Bonny is doing what the river has always done. It is finding a new path through tourism,” he said.

He said the Commission’s mandate remains focused on sustainable development, economic empowerment, infrastructure, and human capital development across the Niger Delta. He cited the establishment of the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) in 2023 as part of efforts to promote trade, industrial growth, and private sector participation.

Dr Ogbuku assured that the NDDC would collaborate with development institutions and private investors to empower youths, support start-ups, and stimulate enterprise growth in the region.

In his remarks, the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, Dr Olayiwola Awakan, said Bonny Island possesses significant tourism assets that remain underutilised. He added that a private-sector driven model was essential to ensure commercial viability independent of government funding cycles.

The President of BCCIMA, Dr Constance Nwokejiobi, said the Orange Economy initiative is designed to complement Bonny’s oil and gas economy with a sustainable tourism sector built on cultural heritage, historical sites, natural attractions, and hospitality capacity.

She disclosed that the plan includes the establishment of a Tourism Concierge Platform, a structured partnership framework for investors, and a privately managed tourism centre to coordinate activities and attract capital.

“Tourism is Nigeria’s Orange Economy, a creative and service-driven growth engine capable of diversifying and expanding our national GDP beyond oil and gas,” Dr Nwokejiobi said.

The Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, said the kingdom has a proud history and remains a major contributor to the national economy through oil and gas. He stated that tourism could provide a second and more sustainable economic pillar for Bonny.