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Rivers State is on the cusp of a boost in foreign capital inflow, and direct investments in agribusiness, tourism and power, as well as upsurge in the development of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).

This, according to Joe Johnson, State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, follows years of targeted reforms, infrastructural development and economic recalibration by the Siminalayi Fubara administration.

Johnson, in a chat with news reporters in Port Harcourt, said Rivers State is gearing up for a historic business breakthrough in 2026, given the groundwork laid for an unprecedented business boom.

He described the state as a “sleeping giant, now awakening under Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration,” adding that tourism, power and livestock sectors hold the fast-emerging opportunities for foreign and domestic investors.

Read also: MAN wants Rivers, Bayelsa to champion blue economy especially ship repair, fish processing

The state is currently ranked third fastest growing economy in Nigeria, behind Lagos and Abuja.

Johnson said that the Fubara administration’s commitment to peace, infrastructure, and private-sector growth has already resulted in an influx of local and international investments.

He said several foreign missions and investment groups from Europe, Middle East, Asia have expressed interest in the state, with projects in livestock processing, eco-tourism and agro-industrial hubs lined up.

Johnson pointed out that Fubara administration’s transparent economic management, infrastructural expansion, and peace-driven leadership have sparked an influx of new investments into the state, urging foreign and domestic investors to tap into the fast-emerging opportunities in the state.

“Governor Fubara has repositioned our economy as one of the most viable destinations for agribusiness, tourism, and intentional about diversification and industrial innovation. The government is intentional about diversification and foreign partnerships,” he said.

He noted that the state’s fertile environment, rich biodiversity, and robust infrastructure give it a natural advantage over many competing regions, adding that “Rivers State is abundantly blessed with natural and human capital. We are simply opening new frontiers for global partnerships.”

Johnson stressed that the Fubara administration is determined to ensure policy stability, improved security architecture, and investor protection frameworks, adding that investors will not regret choosing Rivers State as a business hub.

“Our administration is providing every necessary support to make Rivers State the preferred investment destination in the South-South region. Governor Fubara’s leadership has restored investor confidence and created a business climate defined by peace, transparency, and trust”.

Read also: Bill for special seats for women gets backing in Rivers as APC women file support for Tinubu’27

The commissioner further said that the government is working to establish investment facilitation desks, agro-industrial clusters, and tourism development zones in collaboration with development partners and private-sector investors.

He explained that the state government has spent the last two years consolidating governance, stabilizing the political climate, strengthening security operations, and revamping business regulations. The result, he said, is a predictable environment capable of attracting both local and foreign investors.

Johnson pointed out that among the notable initiatives are improvement in the case of doing business, digitalization of government processes, expansion of agricultural value-chains, maritime sector repositioning, and the reactivation of industrial hubs.

 

Rivers State is on the cusp of a boost in foreign capital inflow, and direct investments in agribusiness, tourism and power, as well as upsurge in the development of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).

This, according to Joe Johnson, State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, follows years of targeted reforms, infrastructural development and economic recalibration by the Siminalayi Fubara administration.

Johnson, in a chat with news reporters in Port Harcourt, said Rivers State is gearing up for a historic business breakthrough in 2026, given the groundwork laid for an unprecedented business boom.

He described the state as a “sleeping giant, now awakening under Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration,” adding that tourism, power and livestock sectors hold the fast-emerging opportunities for foreign and domestic investors.

Read also: MAN wants Rivers, Bayelsa to champion blue economy especially ship repair, fish processing

The state is currently ranked third fastest growing economy in Nigeria, behind Lagos and Abuja.

Johnson said that the Fubara administration’s commitment to peace, infrastructure, and private-sector growth has already resulted in an influx of local and international investments.

He said several foreign missions and investment groups from Europe, Middle East, Asia have expressed interest in the state, with projects in livestock processing, eco-tourism and agro-industrial hubs lined up.

Johnson pointed out that Fubara administration’s transparent economic management, infrastructural expansion, and peace-driven leadership have sparked an influx of new investments into the state, urging foreign and domestic investors to tap into the fast-emerging opportunities in the state.

“Governor Fubara has repositioned our economy as one of the most viable destinations for agribusiness, tourism, and intentional about diversification and industrial innovation. The government is intentional about diversification and foreign partnerships,” he said.

He noted that the state’s fertile environment, rich biodiversity, and robust infrastructure give it a natural advantage over many competing regions, adding that “Rivers State is abundantly blessed with natural and human capital. We are simply opening new frontiers for global partnerships.”

Johnson stressed that the Fubara administration is determined to ensure policy stability, improved security architecture, and investor protection frameworks, adding that investors will not regret choosing Rivers State as a business hub.

“Our administration is providing every necessary support to make Rivers State the preferred investment destination in the South-South region. Governor Fubara’s leadership has restored investor confidence and created a business climate defined by peace, transparency, and trust”.

Read also: Bill for special seats for women gets backing in Rivers as APC women file support for Tinubu’27

The commissioner further said that the government is working to establish investment facilitation desks, agro-industrial clusters, and tourism development zones in collaboration with development partners and private-sector investors.

He explained that the state government has spent the last two years consolidating governance, stabilizing the political climate, strengthening security operations, and revamping business regulations. The result, he said, is a predictable environment capable of attracting both local and foreign investors.

Johnson pointed out that among the notable initiatives are improvement in the case of doing business, digitalization of government processes, expansion of agricultural value-chains, maritime sector repositioning, and the reactivation of industrial hubs.

 

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has begun construction of two major renewable-energy projects in Kano State as part of efforts to boost stable power supply to key public institutions in the state.

The projects being constructed in the state, includes, a 6-megawatt hybrid mini-grid for Bayero University, Kano (BUK) as well as a 1.5-megawatt solar mini-grid for the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala.

The initiative will revive and expand BUK’s long-abandoned 3.5MW renewable-energy system, while the Dala hospital project aims to ensure uninterrupted power for critical medical operations.

Abba Aliyu, managing director of the agency, during the flag off of the project at the Orthopaedic Hospital, said the projects are part of the National Public Sector Solarization Initiative introduced by President Bola Tinubu to address electricity gaps in critical sectors.

According to him, the initiative is designed to revive and expand BUK’s long-abandoned 3.5MW renewable-energy system, while the Dala hospital project is aimed to ensure uninterrupted power for critical medical operations.

Read also: REA pushes for domestication of technology, industries for renewable energy

He noted that the agency is mandated both to extend electricity to unserved areas and to improve supply reliability in underserved institutions.

“By the design of the initiative, we are intervening in four critical sectors: education, health, agriculture and security. Under education, we have deployed hybrid mini-grids in 15 federal universities.

“One of the beneficiaries is BUK, where we are expanding the mini-grid to six megawatts. In the health sector, the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala—an institution with a rich history dating back to 1959—is receiving a 1.5-megawatt system”, he explained.

Aliyu added that the hospital recently acquired MRI equipment that requires round-the-clock power, adding that “the intervention is targeted at providing the needed reliability for the MRI to function, creating a synergy between our work and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s support for the equipment,” he said.

Earlier in his address, Isa Nurudeen, medical director of the hospital, commended the federal government and the REA, saying the project would drastically cut the facility’s dependence on costly diesel generators. He noted that rising electricity tariffs have strained hospital budgets.

“Most hospitals have been in the news because of electricity challenges, especially under Band A. We can barely afford the bills. This intervention is timely. We need to run our MRI for 24 hours, and the electricity demand is huge. With this project, we are good to go”, he stated.

Nurudeen added that the solar mini-grid would help reduce the cost of patient care. “The biggest cost of running any hospital is power. Once power is taken care of, service costs will definitely come down,” he said.

The REA’s solarisation initiative is expected to significantly improve energy reliability, reduce operating costs and enhance service delivery for institutions across the country.

At BUK, Haruna Musa, Vice Chancellor of the university, highlighted the financial strain of powering the institution, revealing that BUK spends up to ₦130 million monthly on electricity bills, even with rationing. This figure, he noted, excludes diesel purchases and generator maintenance costs.

Musa welcomed the NPSSI intervention, describing it as “a transformative upgrade that will drastically reduce operating costs and ensure sustainable energy supply for the university.”

At BUK, BusinessDay gathered that REA will be reviving and expanding the university’s existing 3.5MW renewable energy plant—originally deployed in 2019 under the Energising Education Programme (EEP) Phase 1—into a modernised 6MW facility.
A technical assessment conducted earlier this year informed several key upgrades, including the replacement of outdated battery systems with cutting-edge lithium battery technology and the expansion of the solar PV array.

These improvements aim to deliver cleaner, more reliable, and cost-effective energy to the university community, enhancing teaching, learning, research, and infrastructure sustainability.

The NPSSI is a flagship, government-led programme designed to accelerate the deployment of distributed solar energy solutions across public institutions such as schools, hospitals, security facilities, and government offices.
The initiative formally kicked off earlier this year with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the REA, the Budget Office of the Federation, InfraCorp, and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI).

Rooted in Nigeria’s broader clean energy transition goals, the NPSSI seeks to reduce the public sector’s heavy dependence on diesel, cut carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and lower the running costs of public institutions—many of which currently spend millions monthly on fuel and generator maintenance.

The programme is also expected to boost technical capacity in the renewable energy sector and ensure sustainable power for critical national infrastructure.

 

A team of legal practitioners, in Kogi State led by Ayo Kunle Jonathan, have petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging it to address issues of suppressed constituencies in Kogi State.

Jonathan stated this on Thursday at the INEC office in the state, noted that the Constitution mandates commission to create constituencies, citing Section 91, which requires the House of Assembly of a state to have 3 or 4 State constituencies in a Federal Constituency , adding that some constituencies were suppressed after the state was created, resulting in unequal representation in the Kogi State House of Assembly.

The Kogi State House of Assembly, according to the legal practitioners, currently has 25 members, short of the required number stipulated in Sections 91 and 114 of the Constitution.

Jonathan equally pointed out that Ajaokuta Federal Constituency has only one Assembly Member, whereas Kabba Bunu State Constituency used to have Kabba 1 and 2, Ijumu 1 and 2. Similarly, the same situation he said exists in Yagba Federal Constituency and other areas with suppressed Constituencies.

Speaking also on the petition submitted, Zacchaeus Dare Michael, Chairman of Kabba Bunu LGA, one of the affected Local Government, supported Jonathan’s petition on behalf of the citizens of the State, stating that laws are meant to be fair and just and lamented the suppression of some State Constituencies after the creation of the State.

He cited examples of federal constituencies with inadequate representation and called for the restoration of suppressed seats.

The petitioners urged INEC and Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo to address the issue before the next election, warning that the current composition of the state assembly is defective and lacks legal quorum.

Zacchaeus Dare Michael said “As an interested Party whose Local Government is suppressed, I’m joined in submitting a letter to the INEC.

“laws are drafted in the spirit of equity, justice and fairness. Section 91 of the nation constitution stipulates that a federal Constituency should have 3 or 4 State Constituencies with members in the State Assembly.

“In Idah Federal Constituency, they have four local governments. The four LGAs are represented with a member each in the State Assembly.

“In Ankpa they have 3 LGAs, they have met the constitutional provision of the State lawmakers. In Dekina Bassa Federal Constituency, they require one more Lawmaker to fulfill the provision. In Kogi Central with five LGAs, they have six Assembly Lawmakers with six other seats suppressed. In Kogi West we have 7 LGAs with 8 members with four suppressed seats.

“In 1991, these suppressed Constituencies had their members. Kabba has one and two. Ijumu has One and two, Koto has one and two. By the spirit of the Constitution, we demand the restoration of the suppressed seats, because creation of new constitution would require amending the constitution. We are therefore asking for the restoration of what was in existence”, urge INEC to before the next election, return the Constituency that existed at State creation that has now been suppressed.

“The implications of what obtains now in the Kogi State House of Assembly is that the House is wrongly constituted. They are not forming the legal quorum. If the law says 3, the members will be 27 and if four, it will be 36. Thus far, the quorum in the assembly is defective in the eyes of law.

“We are urging INEC to restore the suppressed Constituencies. We are urging Gov. Usman Ahmed Ododo to listen to the cry of those suppressed voices to enable us to have our representative in the spirit of the Law”.