Developing Coastal Economies

As the discourse on the diversification of Nigeria’s economy, away from the total reliance on crude, continues to remain topical in the face of dwindling oil revenue, the fate of rural communities also calls for urgent attention.
This is because, a number of economic factors including rural-urban migration, search for white-collar jobs and modern social amenities had combined to leave the rural economy, even with its massive potentials, endangered.
How to grow rural economies, again, came to focus, penultimate weekend, when the Rivers State Government reiterated its resolve to diversify the state’s economy through harnessing the tourism potentials of coastline communities.
Speaking on the sidelines of the boat regatta competition which was part of the Golden Jubilee anniversary of Rivers State at the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr. Austin Tam-George, assured that government would tap the potentials of its coastlines and upgrade existing facilities for full economic benefits.
Indeed, the economies of the Niger Delta communities are arguably the most vulnerable and devastated following over 50 years of oil exploration and exploitation. The destruction of aquatic life on which the communities depended, and the lack of social amenities and infrastructure also impacted negatively on the development of other potentials with which the communities are endowed.
Therefore, the assurance on the development of rural economies is one that excites every Rivers citizen because, everyone comes from a rural community.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Rivers State has one of the longest coastlines in the West African sub-region which hosts untapped natural economic potentials.
The State also boasts of numerous tourism potentials including the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach, the Umuagbai Women Weaving Centre, once visited by Prince Charles of Britain in the 1990s; the King Jaja Monument and Opobo Boat regatta festival and the Oyorokoto Fishing settlement/tourist beach.
In spite of repeated assurances by previous governments on the development of the State’s tourism potentials, they have remained undeveloped.
The Tide considers the fresh assurance on the development of coastline economies by the Governor Nyesom Wike government as a soothing balm to Rivers people. We, therefore, advise the government to adopt the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in actualizing specific projects in line with the potentials of targeted communities, to guarantee the sustainability of such projects.
Achieving this therefore, requires long-term development plan and the mustering of the political will to make the difference.
We believe that developing the economies of coastal communities is in line with the current efforts to insulate the nation’s economy from the destabilizing effect of the crash in international oil prices, as well as develop alternative energy sources globally.
The eventual development of the coastal economies will put money in people’s pockets, increase the revenue base of the State and lead to the development of infrastructure and new city centres which the present government is desirous to achieve. We believe it is the way to go.
The Tide, therefore, urges the state government to walk the talk by setting in motion the template for the actualization of this promise, in line with its reported 50- year development plan for the State.
We believe that the development of the coastal economies is one legacy project which, when realized, will endear this government to generations yet unborn.