The Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) has commenced efforts towards repositioning the region for competitive economic development and growth.

The NDCCITMA Board Chairman, Idaere Ogan, disclosed this at the weekend in Port Harcourt while briefing newsmen on its preparedness to host the ‘Niger Delta Economics and Investment Summit 2026’.

The summit scheduled to be held in Port Harcourt from Sept.

Ogan explained that the summit, which would stimulate economic growth in the region, would bring to limelight a wide range of other economic opportunities that existed alongside the region’s oil and gas resources.

 “For decades, the Niger Delta region has played a critical role in the oil and gas economy of our country.

“Aside oil and gas which the region is primarily known for, it also possessed other viable potentials, including agro-allied based industry, maritime, transportation, renewable energy, gas, logistics among others,” he said.

Ogan said that the event would provide a platform for investors, government and the private sector to brainstorm as well as scale up the manufacturing sector across the region.

 “Our primary motive is to showcase strategic investment opportunities capable of strengthening the regional economy.

“We are committed to transforming the region from a predominantly mono-resource dependant economy to a highly diversified, productive, industrialised and globally competitive region.

 “Rather than viewing each state as an isolated economic market, we must begin to build regional value-chains on various economic prospects.

“We must also optimally harness available business corridors, infrastructure and investment platforms so as to collectively strengthen the economy of the region,” he said.

The summit is organised by the chamber in partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission.(NAN)

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, has called for stronger action to translate Nigeria’s climate commitments into investments that drive economic growth, create jobs, strengthen productivity and build resilience.

The call was made on Thursday at the NESG National Green Growth Dialogue, a pre-summit engagement themed “From Commitments to Green Growth,” which brought together stakeholders from government, development finance, the energy sector, business and climate policy to examine how Nigeria can mobilise finance and partnerships to advance its green transition.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Adesola Olatunde, Chief Scientist, said green growth should not be viewed as an alternative to economic development but as an essential component of a resilient economy. She noted that the climate conversation was increasingly moving beyond environmental concerns, as climate policy now has direct implications for economic policy, energy security and agricultural productivity. According to her, Nigeria’s priority should be to build an economy capable of withstanding external shocks while creating opportunities for sustained domestic growth.

Olatunde said climate interventions must deliver tangible economic benefits, including sustainable jobs, higher productivity and protection of livelihoods. She noted that Nigeria’s NDC 3.0 targets a 32 percent reduction in emissions by 2035 and provides a key framework for advancing the country’s pathway towards net-zero emissions by 2060. She highlighted the need to mobilise an estimated $337 billion by 2035 from the private sector and other sources to finance climate and development priorities, including renewable energy, regional mini-grids and other clean-energy solutions. She also called for greater transparency and standardisation in the carbon market, supported by credible greenhouse gas emissions data, a net-zero investment plan and catalytic financing through mechanisms such as the Climate Change Fund. While acknowledging the importance of policy, she stressed that implementation would ultimately determine the impact of Nigeria’s climate ambitions.

Temitope Akinyemi, Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy on Climate Finance, highlighted the importance of strengthening the structures through which climate finance is mobilised and deployed. He explained that the Climate Change Fund is established under the Climate Change Act, with the Nigeria Natural Resource Trust Fund (NTRUPC) serving as custodian, while noting that key gaps must be addressed to optimise its impact.

Akinyemi also referenced emerging climate-finance platforms and initiatives designed to expand access to energy and mobilise investment. He cited the World Bank’s Distributed Access to Energy Scale platform and Mission 300, an initiative aimed at connecting 300 million Africans to electricity and mobilising about $32 billion. He said the National Council on Climate Change, NTRUPC and the Ministry of Finance were collaborating to ensure that available climate resources are mobilised and directed towards priority areas.

Speaking from a development-finance perspective, Imohe Omosede, Head, Climate Finance at the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), stressed the need to aggregate smaller projects to create investment opportunities at scale. She said a value-chain approach could also help expand access to finance for MSMEs, particularly businesses that lack sufficient collateral to meet conventional lending requirements. She explained that supporting qualified off-takers and structuring financing around their value chains could enable smaller businesses within those ecosystems to access funding and participate in green investment opportunities.

Metsegharun Weyimi, Head, Environment at Nigeria LNG, called for a broader recognition of the economic value of forests, wetlands, mangroves and other natural ecosystems. He noted that the decline in mangrove coverage and the conversion of forest areas to bare land, alongside rising sea levels and other environmental pressures, were affecting ecosystems and inland waterways.

Weyimi said investment in nature could generate employment while creating value through climate action, biodiversity conservation and tourism. He cited the more than 20,000 visitors recorded at tourism parks between January and July 2026 as an indication of the economic potential of Nigeria’s natural assets. He also emphasised the importance of partnerships between communities and the private sector, highlighting LNG’s collaboration with communities around the Finima Nature Park as an example of how such partnerships can support conservation and local economic opportunities.

Ibrahim Shelleng, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Finance and Stakeholder Engagement, emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration between the Federal Government and subnational governments. He noted that only a small number of states currently have the capacity to access significant climate finance and called for stronger institutional capacity to ensure that opportunities are distributed more widely across the country.

Shelleng said Nigeria must move from identifying climate priorities to implementing them and proposed stronger coordination through three complementary platforms: one focused on subnational governments, another connecting development partners, and a coordinating platform providing oversight across the climate-finance ecosystem. He stressed that clear structures and defined roles would be critical to improving coordination and ensuring effective deployment of climate resources.

Mr. Gerald Esambe, Head, Climate Change and Green Growth at the African Development Bank (AfDB), said the Bank supports governments through policy advice and financing for projects focused on climate adaptation and mitigation. He noted that the AfDB also applies a joint climate-finance methodology to ensure that relevant projects are appropriately aligned with adaptation and mitigation objectives.

The dialogue highlighted climate finance as a critical enabler of Nigeria’s green transition, while underscoring the need to improve the quality of projects, strengthen institutional capacity and create investment structures capable of attracting both public and private capital. Participants also emphasised the economic opportunities associated with renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, nature-based investments and climate-resilient production.

The NESG National Green Growth Dialogue is part of the series of pre-summit engagements convened ahead of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#32). The engagements provide platforms for stakeholders to examine critical issues affecting Nigeria’s economic development and generate practical perspectives for advancing productivity, investment, employment and shared prosperity.

The 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#32) will be held under the theme “Growth that Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity” on 26th–27th October 2026 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. The Summit will bring together government, business leaders, development partners, experts and other stakeholders to advance practical conversations and actions towards building a more productive, competitive, sustainable and inclusive Nigerian economy.

The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has urged the Federal Government to introduce urgent and socially sensitive measures to cushion the impact of rising petrol prices on households and businesses.

Dr Muda Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of CPPE, made the call in a statement on fuel subsidy issued in Lagos on Sunday.

Yusuf said targeted interventions would be more effective and sustainable than restoring a universal petrol subsidy.

He said priority areas should include mass transit and logistics, affordable public transportation, rail freight and logistics infrastructure.

He also called for improved electricity supply and accelerated deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), solar and other distributed energy solutions.

On food security, Yusuf urged the government to strengthen agricultural production through improved irrigation, rural infrastructure, logistics and productivity.

He also advocated targeted social protection for vulnerable households and improved public services to reduce major household expenses.

According to him, productive enterprises, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), should receive support through measures that reduce energy, logistics and financing costs.

He said the government should maintain a predictable, market-oriented policy framework that protects investor confidence and encourages further investment in refining.

Yusuf said the interventions should be a shared responsibility of the federal, state and local governments.

“The CPPE recognises that the current petrol-price escalation presents a serious cost-of-living, inflation and competitiveness challenge requiring urgent intervention.

“However, restoring the pre-reform universal subsidy regime is neither fiscally sustainable nor economically prudent.

“The appropriate policy direction is to preserve the downstream petroleum reforms while aggressively mitigating their social and economic costs,” he said.

Yusuf urged the government to prioritise affordable transportation, reliable electricity, food production, targeted social protection, healthcare, education and support for productive enterprises.

He also stressed the need for the fiscal gains from subsidy removal to become more visible through improved infrastructure, public services and productive investments.

The CPPE chief said there must be greater transparency and accountability in the use of additional resources accruing to the three tiers of government.

He said the subsidy debate should move beyond the question of whether petrol subsidy should be restored.

“The more consequential issue is how Nigeria can convert the gains of the reform into lower structural costs, stronger domestic production, improved competitiveness, greater energy security and measurable improvements in citizens’ welfare.

“That is the pathway to making the reform economically sustainable and socially defensible,” he said.