Agorehmi Bright, Reporting
THE President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), Dr Chinyere Nwoga, has called for a strategic shift from oil dependence to productivity, industrialisation and sustainable wealth creation to reposition Rivers State for inclusive economic growth.
Dr Nwoga made the call while delivering a keynote presentation titled “A New Dawn: Changing Rivers State’s Economic Trajectory for Growth and Sustainability” at a breakfast meeting organised by BusinessDay Media Limited in partnership with PHCCIMA.
The event, held yesterday at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, had as its theme “A New Dawn: My Economic Blueprint for Rivers People” and provided a platform for governorship candidates to present their economic visions for the state.
While the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Dumo Lulu-Briggs, were absent, Gabriel Pidomson of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) attended and presented his economic blueprint.
In her presentation, Dr Nwoga emphasised that Rivers State must move beyond its traditional dependence on oil revenue towards a diversified economy driven by manufacturing, maritime commerce, agriculture, aquaculture, technology and professional services.
She identified the blue economy, port infrastructure, local supply-chain development and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as critical drivers of economic transformation, stressing the need to convert the state’s abundant natural and human resources into productive enterprises, quality jobs, investment opportunities and sustainable prosperity.
The PHCCIMA President also advocated stronger public-private partnerships, improved business regulations, skills development, investment-friendly infrastructure and measurable economic performance indicators to ensure that government spending translates into tangible benefits for businesses and citizens.
She reaffirmed PHCCIMA’s readiness to serve as a strategic bridge between government, investors, businesses and development partners, facilitating market access, promoting investment and strengthening the role of local enterprises in the state’s economic development.
Earlier, the General Manager, Business Development and Partnerships, South-East and South-South, BusinessDay Media Limited, Patrick Ijegbai, described the engagement as an important opportunity for governorship candidates to communicate their economic agendas and outline practical approaches to developing critical sectors of Rivers State.
He commended PHCCIMA for the partnership, noting that the initiative was informed by the Chamber’s significant role in the state’s economic development.
According to him, the engagement opened a fresh conversation on Rivers State’s economic future, bringing development priorities and ideas for sustainable growth into focus.
The meeting reinforced the need for constructive engagement between the political leadership and the organised private sector in building a competitive, diversified and sustainable Rivers State economy.
Council Member of PHCCIMA, Monima Daminabo, and Financial Secretary, Ambassador Clement Akanibo, were also in attendance.
