Niger Delta Leaders Address $160bn Resource Development Issues

At the Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit 2026 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, leaders and economic stakeholders raised alarms about the Niger Delta's failure to convert its substantial resource wealth into development. Despite receiving approximately $160 billion in federal allocations and interventions over the past 27 years, the region continues to struggle with poor development indicators.

Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of Access Holdings Plc, stated that since 1999, the Niger Delta states and local governments have received about $140 billion in federal allocations, with additional resources from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) bringing the total to $160 billion. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, noted that around 24 million people in the region are multidimensionally poor.

Aig-Imoukhuede emphasized the need for institutions, infrastructure, skills, and enterprise to transform natural resources into sustainable prosperity, questioning the region's industrial capacity and economic platforms.