Some Nigerian leaders have underscored the necessity of the commitment of stakeholders in Rivers State to the economic growth and development of the leading oil-bearing state.
The point was underlined by the personalities cutting across a vast professional background at a summit held in Port Harcourt, the state capital, with members of the Women in Energy, Oil, and Gas expressing their support for the event.
The International Forum for Women in Energy, Oil, and Gas (WEOG) Nigeria is a voluntary, non-profit organisation of women professionals in the energy, oil, and gas sectors.
Rivers State boasts the second-largest economy in Nigeria, next to Lagos State, with ample investment and growth opportunities in critical sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, international trade, transportation, tourism, real estate, ICT, and energy.
The state government hosted the economic and investment summit with the theme Rivers Emerge: Advancing Pathways to Economic Growth and Sustainability, and the primary goal of exploring dynamic trends, fostering insightful dialogues, and building strategic partnerships that will propel Rivers into a prosperous future.
Among the dignitaries at the summit were the 14th Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II; founder and chief executive officer, ZKY Energy Ventures, Rumundaka Wonodi; Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Tunji Disu; acting administrator of Greater Port Harcourt City Urban Planning and Development, Tonte Davies; an experienced urban planner and real estate professional, Utchay Okorji; and chief executive officer of MultiMesh, Godfrey Ohuabunwa, as panellists.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Professor (Mrs) Ngozi Nma Odu; the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Honourable Victor Oko-Jumbo; the Chief Justice of the state, Justice Simeon C. Amadi; and the former governor of the state, Donald Duke, who was the chairman at the event.
Emir Muhammad Sanusi II delivered the keynote address at the summit, which also had Anthonia Mbonye, Pauline Okoye, Chioma Manafa, Stella Diamond Omabe, and Fanny Graham Douglas, among others.
Sandra Ekpe Agho is a professional with experience spanning over a decade in drilling, evaluation, completion, and production in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry. Under her leadership, Noranova Resources Company Limited has made significant strides in the energy oil and gas sector.
According to members of the panel, the stakeholders’ commitment is critical to achieving and sustaining the future economic growth and development of the state.
Part of the sub-themes included infrastructural development and security for sustainable progress in rivers; empowering the future: leveraging education and technology for youth and women’s empowerment; harnessing the blue economy: investment opportunities for sustainable coastal and maritime sector growth and tourism; and the creative economy and today’s investment opportunities in tourism and creative startups.
The government said infrastructural development and security remained the core pillars in the effort by Rivers to achieve sustainable progress.
In his welcome address, the chairman of the local organising committee, Chibeoso Abolu, stated that the theme reflected a “collective aspiration to harness innovative strategies and sustainable practices for a thriving economic future.”
According to him, the world “is living in an era of unprecedented change and opportunity, where global interconnectedness and technological advancements are reshaping the economic landscape.”
Anthonia Mbonye, Pauline Okoye, Chioma Manafa, Stella Diamond Omabe, and Fanny Graham Douglas, among others, were participants from Women in Energy, Oil, and Gas, public sector leaders, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and leaders of thought.
The programme opened with a panel session on infrastructural development and security with the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Noranova Resources Company Limited and the Rivers State chapter Director of the International Forum for Women in Energy, Oil, and Gas (WEOG) Nigeria, moderated by Sandra Ekpe Agho.
Another major highlight of the summit was the showcase of “Women in Energy, Oil, and Gas,” an organisation dedicated to empowering and advancing the roles of women in these critical sectors, which emphasised the importance of gender diversity and inclusion in driving innovation and sustainability.
The infrastructural development and security panel emphasised the importance of road networks, ports and waterways, energy infrastructure, telecommunications, healthcare facilities, and education infrastructure, as well as law enforcement, cybersecurity, community policing, emergency response systems, border security, and counterterrorism, as critical to the current and future socio-economic progress of the state.
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