By Michael Owi
Bayelsa state was recently in the news, and for the right reasons. This has become a common feature of the Governor Seriake Dickson restoration administration which came on board about two years ago.
Notable personalities from across the globe trooped into the increasingly serene city of Yenagoa, the state capital, for the maiden edition of the Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum and the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) Pageant, 2014. Suffice to say the forum was a huge success, judging from the turnout of over four hundred high-profile participants. Also unprecedented was the number of MoUs signed with reputable organizations, the complimentary comments and body languages of the participants.
I digress to make a very important announcement: We now have light in Akaba! What is the big deal? some may ask. Akaba is among a group of remote cluster communities located at the riverine outskirts of Yenagoa separated by the Ikoli River. The other communities are Ogbogoro, Ogu, Famgbe and Ayama. Before now, the only way to access these communities was through water by means of boats or canoes, which to say the least was very clumsy and just as risky. These factors kept away many persons who otherwise would have been proud residents of the area. In fact, the people of these communities confessed that they have never in their wildest imagination, dreamt of having a link road, not to talk of electricity. For them such “luxuries” were only possible in the very distant future.
As I pen this, these communities are in festive mood, because they now have access roads and electricity courtesy of the Dickson administration! What a dividend of democracy and good governance! Incidentally, as the residents of these communities were planning on storming Yenagoa with dance processions to express their gratitude, the two men who made this possible – President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson were gracing the grand opening ceremony of the 3-day Investment & Economic Forum.
As governor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan built the Ikoli bridge. On his part, Dickson constructed the access roads and electrified the communities.
The forum had the theme ‘’Unlocking Bayelsa State’s Economic Potential: Opportunities and Challenges,’’ and held at the Banquet hall, Government House, Yenagoa, and lasted from the 16th through 18th July, 2014.
The first of its kind in the state, the forum .was a beautiful channel through which the Bayelsa State government reached out to the private sector for effective collaboration to build the foundations of private enterprise as the only sustainable way for the state and indeed our country. Declaring the forum open, President Jonathan said Bayelsa State has the potentials to drive the nation’s economy. The President, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, listed peace and unity as the preconditions for achieving the set goals.
He drew the attention of investors to Bayelsa’s unique coastline and green vegetation, stating that if well harnessed would boost the state’s economy.
Governor Dickson couldn’t conceal his elation, particularly with the attendance of such personalities as chairman, World Economic Forum, Lord Malloch-Brown, who represented Mr. Jim O’Neil, chairman emeritus of Gold Sachs Asset Management, Executive President, Africa Business Round Table, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and the Minister of Niger- Delta Affairs, Chief Steve Oru.
Also in attendance was the Minister of state for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, and the CEO, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Mr. Uche Orji.
Worthy of recall is the pledge by Governor Dickson when he assumed office on February 14, 2012, to totally restore all sectors of the state. He highlighted education, security, works and infrastructure, health, tourism and a clear road map to open up new vistas in terms of business and revenue generation geared to moving the economy of the state away from total dependence on oil revenue.
Governor Dickson saw tourism and agriculture as great windows to boost the state’s economy. Thus, the timely setting up of the Bayelsa Development & Investment Corporation (BDIC) to drive this vision.
The governor has also invested heavily on security, making Bayelsa one of the safest states in the country. Little wonder it is so business-friendly. .Two years now the score-card of the restoration government shows that the governor has done well in all sectors of the economy. However, the cash flow is not commensurate with the ongoing massive construction of critical infrastructure, including fly-over bridges, senatorial roads, schools etc, and the governor’s clear vision to make Bayelsa State the Dubai of Africa. There is therefore an urgent need for a robust collaboration with the private sector to actualize this dream, hence, the hosting of the 1st Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum.
The event couldn’t have been better timed. The setting was perfect. The forum was organized around five key areas: capital allocation, expanding the Oil and Gas value chain and by extension local participation, growing the agriculture sector, leveraging the new frontiers of technology and e-commerce and international bench marking of the state’s efforts in the hospitality and tourism sector. The panel’s discussion format provided for questions and answers, deliberately designed to foster meaningful dialogue, was a masterstroke. Anchored by international compere of repute, Mark Eddo, (a former presenter with BBC), the forum also had in attendance the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, his counterparts in Petroleum Resources, and Communication Technology, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke, and Dr. Omobolaji Johnson respectively. The Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Tom Amolo, his Rwandan counterpart, Mr. Joseph Habineza, a former Presidential Adviser on Niger-Delta Affairs, Chief Timi Alaibe, Chairman, Silverbird Group, Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce, Ms Ivana Osagie and Mr. Jite Okoloko of Notore Chemical Industries Ltd, as well as the Managing Director of, Bank of Industry, Mr. Mohammed Santuraki attended.
The discussions were practical, fact-based and down to earth. Governor Dickson particularly drew applauses from an intercontinental audience, for focused, persuasive and pragmatic positions in the discussions. The Governor lived up to his pre-forum mantra, of ‘’this forum is not just a talk shop, but a platform to sign useful MoUs,’’ and to tie down concrete deals to move the state to the next level. This was the high point of the three-day Investment and Economic Forum.
Bayelsa State Government signed a N25 billion SMEs development fund with the trioka of Bank of Industry, Mainstreet Bank and the Bank of Agriculture. MoUs were signed with Ostertrade for the establishment of ceramic tiles, glass and tomato paste and bean canning industries; Proton Energy for the construction of a 500 megawatts power plant, and Banner Energy for the siting of a gas plant and a mini LNG in the state. The state government equally entered into pacts with the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology and four media organizations- Channels Television, Africa Independent Television (AIT), Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and Silverbird.
In line with the spirit of the forum, and in a bid to make the access to business finance less cumbersome for citizens of the state, to enable them participate fully in the economy of the state, Governor Dickson presented certificates of occupancy (C of O) to Julius Berger Plc and other individuals. Thus, bringing the maiden edition of the Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum to a fruitful end, but making way for another historic event – MBGN Pageant 2014.
It is important to note here that the forum may have ended but the business has just begun. Follow-ups to all the pacts are being made. Bayelsa State will surely continue to reap from the many immediate and long term gains of this forum. As the maiden Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum, wrapped up, focus quickly shifted to the magnificent Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, Yenagoa, named after one of Bayelsa’s and indeed Nigeria’s finest literary icons. This was venue of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria Pageant. This edifice was refurbished to international standards by the restoration government and has hosted many world-class events since the inception of the Dickson Administration. These include Bayelsa State 1st Thanksgiving Service, Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Bayelsa State International Jazz Festival, and now the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) Pageant, 2014.
Governor Dickson led his now weary guests to unwind in a most cozy environment. The pageant was a huge demonstration of the Governor’s resolve to diversify the state’s economy through tourism and other sectors. The high-point of the ceremony was the crowning of the 19 year old Miss Akwa Ibom, Iheoma Nnadi, as the 2014 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria by the outgoing beauty queen, Miss Anna Ebiere Banner of Bayelsa state.
With the direction of the Dickson administration,, one is left in no doubt that the people of the state, as well as residents, would benefit handsomely from the remaining part of his tenure.
Owi writes from Yenagoa