Bonny king unveils tourism push bigger than oil and gas as island targets global destination status

The Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, has launched what he calls something bigger than oil and gas for the Rivers State island. He presented Bonny's tourism investment blueprint, the 'Orange Economy', during a three-day economic summit called 'Discover Bonny'.

Bonny already contributes 4% or $16 billion to Nigeria's gross domestic product (GDP). The monarch said the tourism investment potential is large enough to attract global partners, and he pointed to maritime heritage as the future growth engine of Bonny.

Maritime heritage and tourism assets

The Amanyanabo stressed the need for strategic and sustainable partnerships that respect local culture and the environment, as well as projects that transfer skills and create employment. He listed waterways, island beaches, festivals, regatta, cuisine and historic sites as tourism assets that could complement existing oil-and-gas investments and industrial infrastructure.

“Bonny is a kingdom of history, heritage, and opportunities. Bonny is a kingdom with a remarkable history and a proud heritage,” he said.

“For centuries, our people have been connected to the waterways of the Niger Delta and to commerce, trade, diplomacy, and international relations. Our maritime heritage is, therefore, not simply part of our past; it is the foundation upon which we can build a prosperous future.”

He also said: “Today, Bonny occupies a unique position in Nigeria’s economic landscape. We are home to major oil and gas investments and significant industrial infrastructure, while also possessing extraordinary cultural, historical, ecological, and tourism assets.”

Call for responsible investment and youth jobs

The king called for responsible, inclusive investment with strong focus on human capital and jobs for youths. He urged investors to prioritise skills development, entrepreneurship and local capacity building so young people can meaningfully participate in new economic opportunities.

The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has already backed Grand Bonny’s traditional institutions and called for coordinated, people-centred investment to transform Bonny Island into a globally competitive tourism destination capable of creating jobs and boosting non-oil revenue.

The call followed efforts by the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BonnyChamber) and its partners, through the “Discover Bonny” initiative, to reposition the island as a tourism hub and reduce its dependence on oil and gas.

Three-year strategic plan unveiled at summit

The chamber announced a three-year strategic plan aimed at positioning Bonny Island as a premier tourism destination in Nigeria and attracting investment into its tourism, heritage, hospitality and creative sectors. The event, tagged the “Bonny Island Tourism & Investment Summit 2026,” was held from August 18 to 20, 2026, on Bonny Island, Rivers State.

Constance Nwokejiobi, president of the Bonny Chamber, said at a press conference ahead of the summit that the initiative represented the most ambitious chapter yet in the chamber’s advocacy for the economic development of Bonny Kingdom. She said the chamber, as the economic advocacy arm of Bonny Kingdom and an affiliate of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), had consistently pushed policies and projects capable of driving sustainable development on the island.

Bonny sitting on gold, says NTDA DG

Olayiwola Awakan, NTDA director-general, described Bonny Island, which he preferred to call by its traditional name, Okoloama, as rich in tourism potential comparable to mining gold. Awakan, speaking for Hannatu Musa-Musawa, for the NTDA and the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, at the summit on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, pointed to the island’s waterways, mangrove ecosystems, festivals, cuisine and heritage assets as the raw materials for a competitive tourism product.

He warned that attractions alone would not make Bonny world-class. “A destination becomes competitive when its attractions are deliberately developed, connected, packaged, marketed, and sustainably managed to create memorable experiences for visitors and measurable economic value for the host community,” he said.

Awakan urged the development of a complete destination ecosystem covering access and connectivity, accommodation, visitor services, safety, digital visibility, environmental safeguards, investment facilitation, and strong governance. He said the NTDA would work with traditional institutions, governments, communities and the private sector to unlock tourism and investment opportunities on the island. He also cautioned that Bonny’s coastal and mangrove environment must be protected as tourism infrastructure and investment are introduced.

Partners back initiative

Samuel Ogbuku, managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), represented by Lynna Okara, director of Commercial and Industrial Development; Tony Attah, managing director of Renaissance Energy Limited; and Adeleye Falade, managing director of NLNG, described the Bonny tourism initiative as long overdue. The three organisations, partners in the Bonny Chamber-led initiative, said Bonny needs to diversify through tourism, citing its rich cultural heritage and products.

The partners said Bonny is finding a new path in its march to sustainable development, stressing that responsible investment and respect for the ecosystem will be key.

For the naira and Nigerian businesses, a shift by Bonny towards tourism and non-oil revenue could ease pressure on the country's oil-dependent earnings. If global partners invest in the island's hospitality and creative sectors, the resulting jobs and local spending may strengthen economic activity in Rivers State and reduce the economy's over-reliance on crude exports.