Orange Economy: NDDC throws weight behind tourism initiative to transform Bonny island zone

Bonny town in Rivers State with estimated $16bn economy or 4% of the national gross domestic product (GDP) has attracted backing of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which has declared its support and commitment.

NDDC says it will line up behind the three-year strategic programme to transform the historic Bonny Kingdom into a globally competitive tourism destination or the ‘Orange Economy.’

Addressing stakeholders in the tourism industry during the Bonny Island Tourism and Investment Summit, Bonny Island, Samuel Ogbuku, the NDDC Managing Director, said the “Discover Bonny and Orange Economy” initiative reflected a bold and strategic approach to the much-needed economic transformation through enterprise development and investment promotion.

The NDDC boss, represented by Lynna Okara, the Commission’s Director of Commercial and Industrial Development, noted that tourism is not confined to the hospitality sector but is all-encompassing, saying the impact is also on security, communications, finance, education, health, and enhancing economic growth sustainably.

Christened the “Orange Economy,” the tourism summit which was organised by the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BCCIMA), anchored on the theme, “Bonny Island: Transforming into a Premier Global Destination.”