Delta Courts Global Investors With Power, Roads & Security Push — Aniagwu
By PAULINA NZERUBE
Building an Economy Around Infrastructure
DELTA State is positioning infrastructure, electricity and security as the foundation of its strategy to attract fresh investment and expand employment opportunities.
Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, said the government was deliberately creating conditions that would make businesses more willing to invest in the state.
Speaking on Arise News’ The Morning Show, Aniagwu said the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori was investing in roads and other critical infrastructure while strengthening security and legal protections for investors.
He argued that investors would be reluctant to commit significant capital where poor infrastructure, insecurity or regulatory uncertainty could threaten their businesses.
Gas Resources Could Power Industrial Growth
Power supply represents one of the central components of the strategy.
The state is extending a 33KV electricity line from Abraka towards Kwale to serve farms, businesses and communities along the corridor.
Aniagwu said Delta also intended to use its gas resources to support electricity generation.
The Kwale Free Trade Zone is expected to play an important role in that plan.
A gas-gathering hub already operates in the area, and the commissioner said investors could establish power-generation facilities that would supply businesses within the zone and potentially other areas.
Delta has also tested an 8.5MW generation project in Asaba.
According to Aniagwu, the project currently supplies several government establishments. The state now wants to explore opportunities for greater private-sector participation following the liberalisation of the electricity market.
Regulatory Framework for Energy Sector
To support that expansion, the state is working towards establishing an energy commission.
Aniagwu said the commission would provide the regulatory structure required for the electricity market to function effectively.
The move reflects a broader attempt to move beyond government-funded infrastructure and create room for private investment in the state’s energy sector.
However, the expansion faces a major challenge: vandalism.
Vandals Disrupt Electricity Expansion
Aniagwu said vandals had repeatedly sabotaged the electricity project linking Abraka and Kwale.
The government, he explained, had extended the 33KV line three times, but criminals repeatedly removed cables.
They have also targeted transformers, feeder lines and other equipment required to distribute electricity to homes and businesses.
Governor Oborevwori has consequently appealed to community leaders to help protect public infrastructure in their areas.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy is implementing another phase of the project, while the government is pursuing similar interventions around the Isoko axis.
Security & Roads as Investment Priorities
Beyond electricity, Aniagwu said the government was deliberately improving road infrastructure and security before intensifying its investment drive.
The approach is designed to reduce some of the operational risks businesses face and make movement of people and goods easier.
He said the strategy had already attracted interest from investors from China, Brazil and Malaysia.
For the state government, however, attracting investors represents only the beginning.
The larger objective is to convert investment into factories, businesses, employment and increased economic opportunities for residents.
2027 Campaign to Focus on Projects
Aniagwu also linked the administration’s development programme to the political contest ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the government intended to rely on its record of completed projects rather than political promises.
“We are not just going there to dance and walk away,” he said, stressing that projects would be commissioned so residents could assess the administration’s achievements directly.
The strategy puts infrastructure at the centre of both Delta’s economic ambitions and its political messaging.
Its success, ultimately, will depend on whether improved roads, reliable electricity, stronger security and investor-friendly regulations can translate into sustained private-sector investment and jobs for Deltans.
