Organizers of the Discover Bonny Investment Summit have explained why the event is being hosted at the banquet hall of the residential area of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) in Finima, Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.
President of the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Constance Nwokejiobi, gave the explanation on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The choice of venue has, however, generated questions among some stakeholders, particularly against the backdrop of the restricted access associated with the NLNG Residential Area, which primarily accommodates staff and stakeholders of the company and operates under stringent security protocols.
A security staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on security arrangements, explained that the presence of highly placed industry players and expatriate personnel of the company and its partners necessitates strict access controls within the residential area.
Against this background, some stakeholders have questioned the suitability of hosting a summit promoting Bonny tourism and investment in a facility to which ordinary residents may not ordinarily have unrestricted access.
Responding to the concerns, Nwokejiobi said the Summit is designed to “bring investors, tourism experts, government officials, amenity providers, our Chiefs and community leaders into one room, aligned on one future.”
She explained that the three-day event “brings together royal tradition, investment dialogue and the living culture of our Kingdom,” with activities including courtesy visits, plenary sessions, the launch of the Discover Bonny Initiative, a golf tournament and tours.
According to her, the Summit is targeted at Nigerians as well as members of the international community interested in Bonny’s tourism, investment and cultural opportunities.
However, Kristina Reports was unable to obtain a specific explanation from the Bonny Chamber leadership on the choice of the restricted venue, despite enquiries seeking clarification on the matter.
Reacting to the development, a community stakeholder, who preferred anonymity and identified himself as a titled citizen of Bonny Kingdom, described the choice of venue as questionable and the programme’s presentation as a “ruse.”
He said the Summit appeared “elitist in nature” and could effectively disenfranchise what he described as “the supposed owners of the event, the Bonny people.”
He argued that the venue could prevent many Bonny residents from attending, asking: “You want to discover Bonny but you take the same event to where Bonny people cannot attend; how strange? How many people in Bonny can have access to NLNG RA?”
Also reacting, a businesswoman, Belema Williams, questioned the propriety of the initiative, recalling previous promises of financial support to local businesses.
“Isn’t this how they came and called us out that they wanted to give us loans from a certain bank and till today, nothing?”
Williams further questioned what she described as the repeated use of the names of businesspeople to promote initiatives whose outcomes, in her view, had not been sufficiently demonstrated.
“From experience, we know this is all grammar and drama, and nothing will come out of it. Tourism, investment, among others, have now become a rallying cliché for jamborees.”
A development activist based in the United Kingdom, who also preferred anonymity because of his closeness to the traditional leadership of the Kingdom, expressed concern over what he described as “ongoing rhetoric about tourism, investment and all what not.”
He questioned the measurable outcomes of previous tourism and investment initiatives associated with Bonny, saying he did not see evidence of some of the projects during a visit to Bonny last December and questioned their status.
“My brother, what is there to show for all this noise your so-called Chamber has been making over tourism and investment? I was in Bonny last December and took a walk around, but didn’t see the much-touted Asimini Line or Free Trade Zone. I also didn’t see anything relating to the publicly advertised deliverables.”
The Bonny Chamber leadership told Kristina Reports that the Asimini Line was suspended after trial operations produced what it described as unsatisfactory start-up metrics.
However, visits by Kristina Reports to several waterfront locations in Bonny, including Coal Beach, Berger Jetty and Coconut Estate Waterfront, among others, did not reveal visible evidence of an operating marine transport service under the Asimini Line.
The observations do not establish whether the service has been permanently discontinued or whether operations could resume under a revised arrangement.
Similarly, a visit by Kristina Reports to the location identified as the proposed Bonny Free Trade Zone along the King Asimini Bypass found no visible indication of a Free Trade Zone.
The site was being used by sand dealers as a sand dump, while several dealers interviewed at the location said they were unaware of any Free Trade Zone at the site.
The findings could not, on their own, establish the current legal or administrative status of the proposed Free Trade Zone, but they raise questions about the project’s visibility and implementation on the ground.
The concerns raised by the stakeholders centre largely on whether the Summit can achieve its stated objective of promoting Bonny as a tourism and investment destination while also ensuring meaningful participation by residents and local businesses.
Concluding her remarks, the Bonny Chamber president called on Nigerians and members of the international community to “come discover Bonny, support domestic tourism, and see for yourself what our Kingdom offers.”
“For the international community, we say: Bonny Island is open, for investment, for partnership, and for visitors seeking an authentic, well-managed West African destination,” she said.