Rivers State Government has announced an initiative to drive new oil and gas sector projects to increase and consolidate leadership in local content development across every link in the value chain.
Speaking after the Society of Energy Editors (SEE) designated Port Harcourt as Nigeria’s Premier Energy City, the state administrator, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Eket Ekwe Ibas said the recognition was not an end but a new beginning that calls for dreaming bigger and acting bolder.
Ibas said the occasion had thrown a fresh challenge to the Government to consolidate its leadership in Oil and Gas by deepening value addition, promoting local content, and ensuring Rivers people are active participants in every link of the value chain.
He said the government was also poised to expand investment into Renewables and Innovation to harness solar, wind, hydro, and gas resources alongside petroleum, securing a balanced and sustainable energy future as well as building a Regional Energy Hub with world-class infrastructure, investor-friendly policies, and talent pipelines that connect Nigeria to Africa and the world.
In addition, the administration will provide Environmental Responsibility by proving that prosperity and stewardship can go hand in hand, safeguarding our rivers, farmlands, and communities for future generations.
“Your Society’s advocacy aligns perfectly with this vision. My administration is committed to working with you to re-enlist Port Harcourt into the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP) and to hosting an annual international energy conference and exhibition right here in Port Harcourt.” he stated.
Ibas also said that a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) which the Government is willing to sign with the Society is only the beginning adding that “Government alone cannot drive this mission. It requires shared ownership and collective action.”
He said the private sector must continue to invest with courage, vision, and responsibility and that youths must bring their creativity, resilience, and innovation into the energy space.
Turning to the Society, he charged, “And you—the Society of Energy Editors—must continue to tell our story with balance, insight, and fairness, for the world will see us as you portray us.
“This partnership signals a new era of collaborative governance. It shows that the government does not hold a monopoly on ideas, and that the media is not only to critique but also to construct. Together, we are charting a new model for energy leadership.”
To the Captains of Industry here present, the administrator informed them that Rivers State is open for business, stressing, “We will provide the security, fiscal discipline, and policy frameworks to make investment not just viable but profitable. Port Harcourt will remain the hub for oil and gas and expand as a centre for gas development, refining, petrochemicals, and renewable innovations that drive Nigeria’s energy transition.”
He said, “On this historic day, we renew our covenant with progress. We rededicate Port Harcourt to the service of Nigeria, to the leadership of Africa, and to the future of the world’s energy.
“Let it be heard far and wide: Port Harcourt is back. We are reclaiming our destiny. May this investiture not only celebrate what has been achieved but ignite the determination to build what is possible—a Port Harcourt that lights Africa, a Rivers State that leads with vision, and a Nigeria that stands tall as an energy powerhouse.”
He said, from the discovery of oil in Oloibiri, to the refineries and petrochemical complexes here, to the oil service hubs that stretch across the Niger Delta—Rivers State has carried the weight and promise of Nigeria’s prosperity. Our city has attracted investment, nurtured innovation, and produced the skilled workforce that fuels the national economy.
This investiture affirms that legacy but does more as it challenges the Government to go further.
“It confirms that Port Harcourt is not just Nigeria’s Energy Capital; it is destined to become the Energy Capital of Africa.
“Therefore, I not only accept this honour with gratitude but officially declare—on behalf of the people of Rivers State—that Port Harcourt stands as Nigeria’s Premier Energy City. We embrace this responsibility with humility, resolve, and unwavering commitment.”
Earlier, the chairman of the Society, Mallam Yakubu Lawal, said the occasion seeks to reclaim a glorious past and ignite a transformative future for the great city of Port Harcourt, and indeed, for the Nigerian energy sector.
Lawal said, “Port Harcourt is not just a city; it is the cradle of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon industry.”
For decades, he recalled this city was the undisputed heartbeat of Nigerian energy. The names of our national giants—Shell, Total, Agip, NLNG—are woven into the very fabric of its streets.
“The dreams of a nation powered by oil and gas were birthed and nurtured here. The expertise, the passion, the resilience of the Nigerian energy worker were forged in the heat and hustle of Port Harcourt.
“Somewhere along the line, the narrative shifted. While the industry expanded, the premier status of its original home began to be questioned. Today, we are here to correct that narrative. We are here to officially, and unequivocally, reaffirm what has always been true: Port Harcourt is, and will always be, Nigeria’s Premier Energy City.”
Lawal, said that in is in recognition of this indelible legacy and immense future potential that the Society of Energy Editors took a decisive step to act as a catalyst for renewal.
He said the Society’s proposition to Rivers State government was threefold, which is to formally designate Port Harcourt as Nigeria’s Premier Energy City – a title it so richly deserves, superintend the process of re-enlisting Port Harcourt into the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP), a global network of energy hubs where this city rightly belongs alongside Houston, Aberdeen, Stavanger and 15 other cities and commit to hosting an annual international energy conference and exhibition right here in Port Harcourt, in partnership with the Rivers State Government.
“We propose this because the media must move beyond reporting history to help shape it. We see a vision of Port Harcourt not only as a hub for fossil fuels but as a centre of excellence for the entire energy value chain—including gas development, refining, petrochemicals, and the transition to renewable energy.
“We are therefore deeply gratified and immensely thankful to the Administrator and his administration for not only receiving our propositions but embracing them with remarkable enthusiasm and clarity of purpose. Your government’s immediate and positive response signals a shared commitment to the economic and industrial rejuvenation of this state. Your acceptance is a testament to a leadership that is forward-thinking, collaborative, and dedicated to restoring the glory of the Treasure Base of the Nation,” he added.
