The Rivers State Government has reaffirmed its commitment towards fostering private sector-driven economic growth and harnessing the vast opportunities within the blue economy to drive national development.

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, made this known during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), held in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.

Represented by his deputy, Prof. Ngozi  Odu, Governor Fubara described the conference theme, “The Gulf of Guinea and Blue Economy: Pathways to Trade, Investment and Security Towards a $1 Trillion Economy,” as both timely and strategic.

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?The governor  welcomed the leadership of NACCIMA, delegates from the 115 Chambers of Commerce across Nigeria, members of the diplomatic corps, captains of industry, investors, and other distinguished guests to Rivers State.

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?He commended the National President of NACCIMA, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, for choosing Rivers State as the host of the 2026 conference, noting that the decision had drawn national attention to the immense economic opportunities embedded in the blue economy.

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?Fubara stated that the blue economy possesses the capacity to generate revenue that could surpass earnings from the oil and gas sector if properly developed and managed.

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?He stressed the need for Nigeria and other countries along the Gulf of Guinea to take deliberate steps toward maximizing the benefits of their maritime resources while guarding against the continued exploitation of coastal assets by foreign operators.

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?Expressing concern over the activities of foreign fishing trawlers operating in Nigerian waters, the governor noted that many harvest seafood resources without making meaningful economic contributions to the country.

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?He emphasized the need for stronger monitoring mechanisms and enhanced protection of Nigeria’s marine resources.

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?”We must wake up and hit the ground running. If we do not capitalize on and utilize our blue economy, other nations will utilize it for us,” he stated.

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?The governor thanked NACCIMA for what he described as a timely wake-up call on the importance of the blue economy and maritime security, adding that the successful hosting of the conference in Rivers State demonstrates the state’s safety, hospitality, and readiness for business and investment.

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?Earlier in his remarks, the President of NACCIMA, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Government for hosting the 66th Annual General Conference of the Association and for the warm reception accorded delegates.

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?He noted that the state’s commitment to hosting the conference reflects its readiness for business and has helped restore investors’ confidence in its economic potential.

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?According to him, NACCIMA highly values the cordial relationship between the Rivers State Government and the organized private sector, emphasizing that the association remains the foremost voice of the Nigerian business community.

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?In her welcome address, the President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), Dr. Chinyere Nwoga, described the conference as a historic milestone, noting that it was the first time in the Chamber’s 66-year history that it was hosting the national body of NACCIMA.

Nwoga commended the national leadership for entrusting PHCCIMA with the hosting rights and pledged the Chamber’s continued commitment to advancing the objectives of the association and promoting sustainable economic growth through private sector engagement.

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has ordered a complete seal-off of the site of a  five-storey building which collapsed last Wednesday, killing one person and injuring several others in Port Harcourt.

Fubara gave the order during his visit to the site of the collapsed building last Thursday to assess the situation.

He said the site will remain “completely sealed off” until the  government gets to the “root cause” of the incident.

He described the incident as unfortunate but observed that preliminary investigation had shown that the developer had earlier refused  to subject his site to inspection by the state authorities and comply with the necessary  building regulations.

The governor, who inspected the site alongside the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Sir Amairigha Edward Hart, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties, Dabite Sokari George, explained  that he couldn’t visit the  site the previous day because he was awaiting formal briefing from the relevant agency of government on the situation.

“We’re here to see for ourselves the very unfortunate incident that took place here.  I didn’t come yesterday because I wanted to get the report first, and the Commissioner did brief me that the incident site, first, is not as claimed by the developer, that it’s not under the jurisdiction of the state; that it’s under the jurisdiction of the Federal Housing Authority.

“He also informed me that when the project was ongoing, they came here severally to inspect what  was happening and also to see the level of compliance. But unfortunately, that the developer kept claiming that we don’t have any right to interfere,” he said.

Fubara said that the issue was no longer about interference but about the life lost to the building collapse and the collateral damage brought upon the family of the deceased.

He extended condolences to the families of the victims, insisting that the incident could have been avoided if the developer had complied with the rules guiding  the  engineering design and construction of such a structure in the 21st century.

“We feel very sorry and very regretful that such an incident should be happening in this 21st century because technology has advanced, engineering has developed. I wonder what kind of engineer would even allow this kind of project to go on when everything about it from inception has been faulty.

“I think that at this point, nothing is going to happen on this site any more. We are going to make sure that this place is completely sealed off until we get to the root cause of this incident,”  the governor said.

The Transmission Commission of Nigeria has announced electricity disruption in parts of Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Bauchi, and Yobe States, as well as Gazaoua in the Niger Republic.

The spokesperson of TCN, Ndidi Mbah, disclosed this in a statement yesterday

The outage is due to planned maintenance at Kumbotos’ 330 kilovolt transmission substation on Sunday.

Consequently, electricity customers served by Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, and Yola Electricity Distribution Company will experience power disruption.

“The scheduled maintenance is to enable the TCN contractor to continue the ongoing upgrade of 330kV bus II jumpers and replace the existing 350mm² conductors with 800mm² conductors in order to strengthen the transmission network and improve power reliability.

“As a result, Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) and some part of Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) and Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) will be unable to off-take power for distribution to their customers in Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa States, as well as Azare in Bauchi State, Nguru in Yobe State, and also Gazaoua in the Niger Republic,” TCN stated.