The Secretary General of the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr. Paul Adalikwu, has received a high-level delegation from the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) at the organisation’s secretariat in Abidjan, with a promise to deepen blue economy awareness in Africa
While receiving the NDCCITMA Board Secretary, Chief Dr. Solomon Edebiri who was accompanied by Development Partner Arc. Tonye Braide in Abidjan, Dr Adalikwu described the natural marine endowments in most parts of Africa including Nigeria’s Niger Delta as a divine blessing that could only be harnessed through strategic and enduring policies and practice.
According to the MOWCA SG, the Niger Delta region of Nigeria in addition to its vast oil and gas endowments, holds greater prospects for development through maritime transport, fishing, tourism, underwater mining and other profitable ventures.
He added that the region, if strategically positioned with sustainable public and private partnership could attract more foreign direct investments to enhance job creation and improved development.
Dr. Adalikwu welcomed the engagement and acknowledged the Niger Delta’s strategic maritime and economic potential.
He stressed the need to leverage the region’s waterways, coastal location and access to the Gulf of Guinea to build an integrated platform for investment and job creation.
MOWCA, he said, is interested in initiatives that advance regional maritime cooperation, Blue Economy development, infrastructure, renewable energy and sustainable growth across West and Central Africa.
Speaking on their mission, the NDCCITMA team said they were in Abidjan to personally follow up on an earlier invitation for the MOWCA Secretary General to attend the inaugural Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit and Exhibition (NDEIS 2026) as a Special Guest and Keynote Speaker.
According to them, the three-day summit is scheduled for 15–17 September 2026 at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and it is organised in partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with the theme “Driving Investment, Innovation, and Industrial Growth in the Niger Delta.”
They stated further that the NDEIS 2026 is designed as a practical investment platform rather than a talk-shop. It will feature deal rooms, business-to-business and business-to-government engagements, sectoral forums, investment matchmaking, exhibitions and direct interactions with development partners. The goal is to convert the region’s natural and economic potentials into bankable projects.
While the Niger Delta is traditionally known for oil and gas, the Chambers highlighted wider opportunities in agriculture and agro-processing, compressed natural gas (CNG), industrial development, logistics, warehousing, packaging, export production, renewable energy and maritime activities.
Through its Economic Development Initiative, NDCCITMA said it has already supported more than 4,000 micro, small and medium enterprises with structured financing in less than a year.
A significant part of the discussion centred on the Blue Economy. The delegation pointed to the region’s extensive coastline, waterways, ports, fishing resources and strategic position on the Gulf of Guinea as assets that could drive employment, trade and industrial growth if properly developed.
Officials expressed interest in attracting international technical cooperation, investment and partnerships to move the region beyond heavy dependence on hydrocarbons toward sustainable ocean-based activities, fisheries, aquaculture, marine transport and coastal infrastructure.
Possible areas of future collaboration identified during the meeting include Blue Economy projects, maritime infrastructure, renewable energy, investment mobilisation, regional cooperation within the Gulf of Guinea, technical capacity building, maritime trade and logistics, and linkages with international development partners.
Both sides noted strong alignment between the objectives of NDEIS 2026 and MOWCA’s mandate to promote maritime transport, safety, infrastructure, trade facilitation and the sustainable development of the maritime sector.
The Niger Delta’s location, they agreed, positions it as a potential hub for regional maritime trade, logistics, energy and Blue Economy activities that could benefit countries across the Gulf of Guinea.
The working visit was described as productive. MOWCA expressed willingness to continue engagement with NDCCITMA and Nigerian stakeholders to explore practical ways of advancing the maritime and economic development of the Niger Delta.
