Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has called on Brazilian businesses to take advantage of the state’s abundant investment opportunities, describing Delta as a rising hub for trade, energy, agriculture, and industrial development in Nigeria and West Africa.
The governor made the appeal in São Paulo on Thursday at the Delta State-Focused Business and Investment Roundtable, where he showcased the state’s economic strengths, strategic advantages, and ongoing reforms aimed at attracting global investors.
Oborevwori noted the strong historic and cultural ties between Nigeria and Brazil, pointing to their similarities in agriculture, diversity, climate, and shared passion for football. He described the roundtable as a platform to build sustainable partnerships that would accelerate growth in both countries.
“Since its creation in 1991, Delta has grown into one of Nigeria’s top five economies, with a landmass of over 18,000 square kilometres and a population exceeding six million. The state is blessed with vast natural resources and youthful human capital, making it an attractive destination for investors,” he said.
Highlighting the state’s competitive edge, Oborevwori emphasised Delta’s leadership in crude oil production, its vast natural gas reserves, and the presence of two major export terminals in Escravos and Forcados. He further pointed to Delta’s coastline, four seaports, and the ongoing concession of the Burutu Seaport, which he said could become a major trans-shipment hub for West and South-West Africa.
On agriculture, the governor outlined growth potential in cassava, palm produce, rice, maize, aquaculture, and livestock, as well as deposits of kaolin, silica, coal, lignite, and iron ore. He also praised Delta’s infrastructure network — with three functional airports, extensive road systems, and proximity to key Nigerian markets such as Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba.
To strengthen investor confidence, Oborevwori highlighted reforms such as tax harmonisation, the creation of free trade zones in Koko and Kwale, and business-friendly legislation. He recalled that in 2024, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources recognised Delta as Nigeria’s safest state for oil and gas investment.
The governor also unveiled the state’s agro-industrialisation agenda, which includes a 180-hectare Agro-Industrial Park designed to host 30 processing plants, alongside new public-private partnership models in housing, energy, and manufacturing. He added that a decentralised mini-grid system has been introduced to boost sustainable energy for industrialisation.
Looking to Brazil’s expertise in ranching, Oborevwori expressed Delta’s readiness to adopt aspects of the model to strengthen livestock production and further diversify its economy.
