Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State, Nigeria is set to host a major tourism and investment summit as stakeholders move to reposition the historic Niger Delta kingdom as a premier global destination and diversify its economy beyond oil and gas.
The Bonny Island Tourism & Investment Summit, organised under the Discover Bonny Initiative, will hold from Tuesday to Thursday, August 18 to 20, 2026, in Bonny, Rivers State, with the theme: “Bonny Island: Transforming into a Premier Global Destination.”
The three-day event is expected to bring together government officials, traditional authorities, business leaders, investors, development institutions and tourism stakeholders to explore Bonny’s investment, cultural, heritage and tourism potential.
Among the dignitaries listed for the summit are Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara; Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of the Ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, Edward I, Perekule XI, CON, DSSRS, JP; and Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.
Also expected are the Managing Directors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku; Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), Adeleye Falade; Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Tony Attah; and Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Abinye Pepple.
The summit comes as the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture intensifies efforts to promote what it describes as the island’s emerging “Orange Economy”—an economy driven by tourism, culture, creativity, hospitality and related services.
Speaking at a media briefing at the Penthouse of the NUJ House on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, President of the Bonny Chamber, Dr Constance Nwokejiobi, said the Discover Bonny Initiative is designed as a three-year strategic programme to transform the island into a globally competitive tourism destination.
According to Dr Nwokejiobi, Bonny already plays a significant role in Nigeria’s economy through its oil and gas activities, with major economic pillars including NLNG and Renaissance Africa Energy, formerly SPDC.
She said the objective now is to create a second, sustainable economic pillar around tourism, heritage, hospitality and the creative economy.
“Discover Bonny is not a slogan; it is a framework,” Nwokejiobi said, describing the initiative as a tourism concierge platform and partnership framework encompassing platinum, gold, silver, bronze, community tourism and international partnership tiers.”
She said a central feature of the initiative would be a dedicated, private-sector-driven tourism centre, arguing that sustainable tourism development cannot depend solely on government.
“A private-sector-anchored Tourism Centre ensures Bonny’s tourism economy is entrepreneurial, investable, and built to outlast any single administration or partnership cycle,” she said.
Nwokejiobi also positioned the initiative within Nigeria’s wider economic diversification agenda, describing tourism as part of the country’s “Orange Economy”—a creative and service-driven growth engine with the potential to complement the traditional oil and gas economy.
She said the summit would showcase Bonny’s ecotourism, industrial, cultural and heritage assets to potential investors and development partners.
“We are not only opening our Kingdom to visitors, we are opening a new front for Nigeria’s economic diversification,” she said.
The Bonny Chamber President attributed the growing push to reposition Bonny internationally to the vision of King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, who is scheduled to mark 30 years on the throne on December 21, 2026.
According to her, the monarch has consistently envisioned Bonny as more than an energy and industrial hub, but also as a kingdom with significant historical, cultural and hospitality assets capable of attracting global attention.
She said that vision was increasingly being complemented by the involvement of major corporate stakeholders, particularly NLNG and Renaissance Africa Energy, which she described as anchor partners translating the broader vision into practical investments and programmes.
The summit is therefore expected to serve as a platform for investors and visitors to “discover the opportunities, experience heritage and invest in Bonny.”
Beyond the summit itself, organisers envisage Discover Bonny as a long-term platform for building partnerships around tourism infrastructure, cultural preservation, hospitality, community participation, investment and international tourism promotion.
With its historic royal heritage, coastal environment, energy infrastructure and longstanding commercial links, Bonny is seeking to leverage its existing economic profile to establish itself as a destination capable of attracting both domestic and international tourists and investors.
The August 18–20 summit is expected to provide the first major public platform for the initiative as stakeholders converge on the island to discuss how Bonny can translate its considerable heritage and economic assets into a sustainable, globally competitive tourism economy.
