Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has said the location of the state around the resource-rich Gulf of Guinea (GoG) region presents unique opportunities for investment, its growth and development. Diri also stated that his administration was ready to deepen collaboration to enhance the security of the contiguous maritime area.

The governor spoke at the Nigerian Mission House in New York during a High-Level Discourse on the Gulf of Guinea, with the theme: “Unlocking Energy, Oil/Gas, Mineral Resources, Aviation and Maritime Opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea: A Roadmap for Peace and Security” on the margins of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The event was convened by a policy think tank, The New Diplomat in collaboration with Angola-based Gulf of Guinea Commission. Diri noted that Bayelsa, being the ancestral homeland of the Ijaw people, shares historical affiliation and geographical similarities with the Gulf of Guinea.

According to him, the huge economic potentialities of the area were yet to be fully exploited. He said Bayelsa’s longest coastline in the country of over 200km offers opportunities in tourism, oil, gas and energy development as well as investments in glass, ceramics, fisheries, maritime and aviation among others.

He said: “The Gulf of Guinea, stretching approximately 6,000 kilometers from Cape Lopez in Gabon to Cape Palmas in Liberia, is one of the world’s most strategic maritime basins. It anchors nearly 60 per cent of Africa’s oil production, holds 4.5 per cent of global proven oil reserves and 2.7 per cent of global gas, and supports seaborne trade expanding at unprecedented pace.

“Surrounding this basin is a vast market of over 500 million people across West and Central Africa, making the Gulf not only a lifeline for energy but also a growth engine for trade, jobs, and food security.”