Nigeria's military is continuing to crack down on militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta, despite local and international appeals for it to stop. Military authorities say several militants have been killed and over a dozen soldiers are missing and presumed dead. The fighting has displaced thousands of families and disrupted oil production and other business activities.
State generally peaceful
But the governor says for the state as a whole, it's a different story. Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan says despite security issues, Delta State is peaceful and presents a unique business opportunity for investors.
"We have a peaceful environment, we have a secured environment, we have the natural resources, and we have the human resources to make any business thrive in Delta State. We know that the critical issue has been that of the Niger Delta crisis. It has a safe environment for investors. We have very heavy investment, like the Escravos Gas and Liquid plant, which is a $5.9 billion investment that is going on in the heart of Delta State and in the creeks."
Attracting business a priority
Dr. Uduaghan says, "Our overall objective is to make Delta State the investment destination, the investment hub for Nigeria, for West Africa and in fact for Africa." So he says his administration has a deliberate policy to reduce militancy and give everyone a sense of belonging.
He
says, "Apart from the peace and security that is necessary for successful
investment, there are also critical infrastructure, and that is what we have
been concentrating on, (including) power, trying to improve on our power supply; the
area of transportation, and that is why we have gone into constructing that international
airport at Asaba that can handle both cargo and passengers and also trying to put
up another runway in the Warri Airport, which is actually the business center
for Delta State."
