The second edition of the Niger Delta Blue Economy Investment Summit is scheduled to hold from March 18 to 20, 2027, at Movela Hotels, Warri, Delta State, with organisers targeting the mobilisation of more than $600 million in investment for Nigeria’s blue economy sector.
The summit is expected to bring together key decision-makers, investors and industry operators to explore investment opportunities and transform the Niger Delta’s blue economy potential into viable projects capable of driving sustainable economic growth.
Speaking with selected journalists, Co-convener of the summit, Dr Uche Igwe, said the annual event would attract participants from government, the organised private sector, academia, civil society, traditional institutions and community groups across the Niger Delta and beyond.
Igwe said the maiden edition, held in February 2026, had recorded significant progress, particularly in attracting partners and identifying feasible investment projects.
He explained that the focus of the second edition would be to develop the identified projects into bankable ventures and mobilise the necessary funding to move them from the planning stage to implementation.
“Since our maiden edition last February, a lot has been achieved. We now have partners who understand our region and have identified several feasible projects.
“It is now time to move to the next level by ensuring that these projects become bankable and that the required funds are mobilised to take them from the drawing board to actual implementation,” he said.
The co-convener commended the Delta State Government, under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, for providing an enabling environment to support the development of the blue economy sector.
He identified the exploration of innovative financing mechanisms, including blue bonds, as a major highlight of the forthcoming summit.
According to him, feedback from stakeholders and prospective investors suggests that more than $600 million in investment capital could be mobilised into the blue economy sector through the initiative.
Also speaking, Senior Consultant at Gadfly Consulting Limited, Mr Philemon Oghenedoro Adjekuko, said stronger collaboration among relevant government agencies and private sector stakeholders was necessary to achieve Nigeria’s proposed $1 trillion economy by 2030.
He noted that the blue economy could make a significant contribution to the country’s economic growth if stakeholders moved beyond policy discussions to practical implementation of investment opportunities.
Adjekuko, who said he had spent the past three months engaging stakeholders as part of a study on blue finance, expressed optimism that Nigeria was positioned to achieve sustained economic transformation through the development of its non-oil sectors.
“As someone who has been speaking to stakeholders over the last three months while conducting a study on blue finance, I believe our country is ready to witness steady economic transformation through the blue economy.
“I look forward to the event in Warri and strongly believe that discussions around projects can quickly translate into impactful investment deals for the Niger Delta and the country,” he said.
The 2027 Niger Delta Blue Economy Investment Summit is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to explore financing opportunities, strengthen partnerships and accelerate investments in the region’s maritime and other blue economy-related activities.
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