The Obio/Akpor Business and Economic Forum, OBEF, has reaffirmed its dual mandate as an engine for economic prosperity and a veritable platform for good governance and grassroots participation, with a renewed commitment to fostering a conducive, business-friendly environment that unlocks opportunities and drives sustainable development in Obio/Akpor.
The Forum held its second quarterly meeting on Wednesday, October 9, 2026, in Port Harcourt, hosting a strategic convergence of multinationals, private business enterprises, business moguls, banks, industries, policymakers, theorists, traditional and religious leaders, and development partners.
In his address, Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr. Gift Worlu, declared that Obio/Akpor has come of age and must now translate its demographic and economic weight into tangible prosperity and accountable governance.
“Obio/Akpor is of age and it is time to prove itself to the world, defeating challenges and harnessing opportunities. We have the highest population and the largest concentration of companies, institutions and firms,” Worlu said.
Dr. Worlu stressed that democracy must not be reduced to the mere conduct of elections, but must be seen as a continuous, deliberate process of engagement, dialogue and collective responsibility.
“What we are trying to achieve here is to bring together policymakers, policy implementers, theorists, students, politicians, bankers, traditional rulers, religious leaders and development partners in one room to begin strategic conversations that can produce ideas capable of transforming our society and strengthening local governance,” he said.
“For me, this is what democracy is; when people can come together like this, identify challenges, identify opportunities, develop frameworks, develop consensus and be able to address the problems, and take advantage of the opportunities on a constant basis,” he added.
He explained that the vision behind the Quarterly Forum is to institutionalize a sustainable structure where government listens, businesses speak, and communities benefit, assuring participants of his administration’s commitment to sustaining the Forum as a permanent channel for participatory governance beyond any single administration.
On governance deliverables, Dr. Worlu disclosed that the council has made firm and measurable interventions in areas that directly impact both quality of life and ease of doing business.
“Several interventions have been made on flooding. There has also been intervention into traffic management. Security measures have been kept updated too. There is also the move to eliminate hosting of burial ceremonies by the roadside,” he said.
In a further push to restore order and drive internally generated revenue, the Chairman announced the imminent formation of the Obio/Akpor Agency for Transport Management, a dedicated body that will professionalize traffic control, ease gridlock and create a more orderly business environment.
Recap of Q1 and Establishment of Governance Structure
The meeting began with a brief summary of the first quarterly meeting, where stakeholders agreed to the establishment of the OBEF Operational and Governance Structure. The structure will comprise a corporate membership architecture that integrates corporate bodies, investors, government agencies, institutions of learning and host communities.
“The establishment of OBEF was borne out of the recognition that sustainable economic growth cannot be achieved by the government alone. It requires collaboration, mutual understanding, strategic partnerships and continuous engagement within the economic ecosystem,” said the Executive Secretary of OBEF, Dr. Herbert Okachukwu.
Dr. Okachukwu, who previously served as Chairman of the OBEF Organising Committee and has now been appointed Executive Secretary of the Forum, eulogized Dr. Worlu for his determination to institutionalize the Forum as a sustainable economic body that will endure beyond different administrations.
Inauguration of Board, 15 Companies Nominated
In a major institutional milestone, the Forum announced and inaugurated a Board saddled with the responsibility of providing strategic direction, governance and policy making for OBEF.
The Board consists of 15 companies nominated into the OBEF Board, plus a representative of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area and a Legal Adviser to be appointed, with Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, RAECL, serving as Chairman of the Board.
The companies nominated into the Board as announced are:
- Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited – Chairman
- Aveon Offshore Limited
- Oando Plc
- Halliburton Energy Services Nig. Ltd
- Heirs Energies Limited
- Hotel Presidential
- Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited
- U and C MFB Limited
- FSDH Limited
- Total Energies EP Ltd
- Schlumberger Nigeria Limited
- Dufil Prima Foods Limited Nigeria
- Bottling Company Plc
- Nymagx Energy Services Limited
- Charkin Maritime & Safety Co. Ltd
The Forum resolved that any company that has not responded to its nomination or appointed its representative into the Board by the next quarterly meeting due in December, would be deemed to have turned down the nomination and would be replaced.
Programmes for Next Quarter Announced
The Executive Secretary of OBEF, Dr. Herbert Okachukwu, announced the programmes to be carried out in the next quarter. The programmes include
- Courtesy visits to companies operating in Obio/Akpor for sensitization and buy-in
- A robust media campaign and stakeholder engagement drive
- Continuous update and review of the OBEF database to capture all active economic actors
- An Annual Recognition Award slated for December to celebrate businesses and individuals driving growth in the LGA.
Speaking on the need for collective ownership, Professor Okechukwu Onuchukwu emphasized that no single actor can drive development in isolation.
“No one stakeholder can function independently of the other. We must understand that development in Obio/Akpor can triple down to other LGAs. Hence everybody should make it a point of duty to tell people about OBEF and encourage business owners to partner with OBEF,” Onuchukwu said.
Interactive Session, Offers and Call for Inclusivity
A major highlight was the extended interactive session where individuals, private business owners and entrepreneurs made frank suggestions on how to firm up OBEF’s operational structures and programmes to make it more responsive and inclusive.
The discourse yielded immediate dividends. The Renaissance Club announced membership support for OBEF to help create a healthy balance between life and work for professionals within the LGA, while Brolljadd International Limited offered free training for 100 youths in the highly sought-after skills of sandblasting and painting, a direct boost to youth employability.
In his remarks, the Vice Chairman, Responsibility and Sustainable Development, RAECL, Igo Weli, assured of alignment with the vision of OBEF and called for structural discipline in economic interventions.
“There is alignment. On agriculture, it must be structurally driven to avoid wastage because there have been times that opportunities and resources have been made available for youths who ended up wasting them away,” Weli maintained.
Other opinions at the session centered on deepening inclusivity. Participants called for the inclusion of the Police Community in the Forum’s security and business safety dialogues, advocated for dedicated platforms where small businesses can showcase their ventures and access markets, and stressed the urgent need to integrate agricultural activities into OBEF programmes as a practical strategy to stabilize youths, free them from joblessness and guarantee food security.
The meeting ended on a resolute note, with stakeholders commending Dr. Worlu for institutionalizing a forward-thinking initiative that weds economic pragmatism with democratic ideals, prioritizing dialogue, innovation, shared prosperity and inclusive development at the grassroots.
