By David Owei,Bayelsa

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, on Tuesday, flagged off the maiden fish harvest at the Bayelsa Aquaculture Village in Yenegwe, describing the revived facility as a major step towards diversifying the state’s economy, creating jobs and strengthening food security.

Governor Diri said the revival of the aquaculture facility demonstrated his administration’s commitment to transforming Bayelsa’s natural resources into productive enterprises that would benefit the people.

He said the facility established by the immediate past administration in the state remained moribund for years due to a stalled concession arrangement until it was repositioned under his Assured Prosperity administration.

The Bayelsa governor noted that although oil and gas play a significant role in the state’s development, their finite nature and fluctuating fortunes made it necessary to explore other economic opportunities.

He said: “Our future must now be built on our waters. Our fathers and forefathers relied on these waters. These waters gave them life, and these waters fed them.

“That is why our administration is investing in agriculture, aquaculture and the blue economy alongside education and the energy sector.”

He explained that efforts to revive the facility after he assumed office in 2020 were unsuccessful due to the contractual agreement, adding that his administration eventually terminated the non-performing concession and recovered the asset for the state.

The governor said the recovery was necessary to protect public funds already invested in the facility and ensure that the state’s resources were put to productive use.

He disclosed that his administration earlier spent about N200 million in an attempt to revive the facility, but the intervention was unsuccessful.

Governor Diri also commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, describing it as a recognition of the economic potential of Nigeria’s coastal communities and that Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation were direct beneficiaries of the ministry’s creation.

He also said the ministry provided an opportunity for Bayelsa to strengthen its relationship with the Federal Government and advance its marine and blue economy agenda.

The governor further appreciated the technical support of CSS Farms in Nasarawa State and the cooperation and support of the host communities.

He directed the Commissioner for Works to assess the deteriorated road linking the facility from Igbogene for immediate rehabilitation and ordered the release of additional funds for the completion of another road connecting it to the Glory Drive.

Diri said the state’s ambition extended beyond fish production to developing a complete fisheries value-chain involving processing, transportation, marketing and trade.

He urged young people to embrace fish farming and entrepreneurship, noting that the facility would also serve as a training ground for students and aspiring aquaculture practitioners.

The governor expressed confidence that Bayelsa could supply fish to other parts of the country, adding that the state’s natural environment remained a major advantage for aquaculture development.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Faith Zibs-Godwin, said the maiden harvest marked the revival of a major public investment and the beginning of sustained aquaculture production in the state.

She disclosed that the facility, which covers approximately 831 hectares, comprises an 80-tank hatchery, 40 nursery ponds, 500 grow-out ponds, a feed mill with two production lines, a processing centre with 30 smoking kilns and other supporting infrastructure.

The commissioner said the hatchery produced about 100,000 fish fry, while a 30,000-fish monosex tilapia pilot had also been undertaken to diversify production.

She added that fresh spawning had commenced for the next production cycle, while students from the Niger Delta University and National Youth Service Corps members were receiving practical training at the facility.

Dr. Zibs-Godwin called on credible investors and technical partners to support the expansion of the facility’s production, processing, cold-chain distribution and access to wider domestic and export markets.

Representative of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Prof. Busayo Fakinlede, commended the Diri administration for reviving the facility and said the Federal Government was committed to supporting the state’s marine and blue economy development.

He described Bayelsa as a frontline state in Nigeria’s marine and blue economy ambitions and called on investors to explore opportunities in aquaculture, fisheries and maritime infrastructure.

Fakinlede also disclosed that the World Bank had selected Bayelsa as a cluster for marine and rural economy development, citing the state’s potential and readiness to advance the sector.

He said the Federal Government had approved the Agge Deep Seaport, describing it as a major step towards developing Bayelsa’s maritime infrastructure.

The presidential aide said Governor Diri had been assured that the project would be realised before the end of his tenure.

He added that the Federal Government was committed to supporting the state’s blue economy initiatives, which would contribute to national food and protein security.

At the event were the wife of the governor, Dr. Gloria Diri, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, Senator representing Bayelsa Central, Dr. Konbowei Benson, and the member representing Kolokuma/Opokuma/Yenagoa federal constituency, Hon. Oforji Oboku.

Also present were the Head of the State Civil Service, Dr. Wisdom Sawyer, the acting Chief of Staff, Mr. Iroro Komonibo, and other top government functionaries as well as the Obenibe of Epie Kingdom, King Malla Sasime, and other stakeholders.

By David Owei,Bayelsa

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, on Tuesday, presented the state’s 2027 Appropriation Bill, based on a projected revenue of N1,242, 688,970,520,22,
to the House of Assembly for consideration and passage.

Presenting the “Budget of Assured Prosperity for Sustainable Growth and Development,” Governor Diri explained that the 2027 proposals were derived from broad stakeholder engagements involving traditional rulers, technical experts, the organised private sector and citizens across the state.

He also stated that it was a historic budget being the first as the state was beginning its fourth decade and presented at a time sustained investments were visible in all the local government areas.

He said: “Our fiscal priorities remain clear: roads and bridges that connect communities, better health and education services, reliable power and an environment in which businesses and families can thrive.”

Presenting the estimates, he said ₦840.791 billion representing approximately 68 per cent was proposed for capital expenditure while recurrent expenditure was put at ₦401.897 billion representing approximately 32 per cent.

He observed that the proposed budget was approximately 22 per cent larger than that of the 2026 fiscal year, which was N1.016 trillion.

Diri listed some strategic projects that would continue to receive priorty attention in 2027 as they were at advanced stages of completion.

They include the Ekeremor–Agge Road Phase I, Nembe–Brass Road Phase I, Akaba–Ayakoro Road with spur to Otuegwe 1, Glory Drive Phase 3, Agbere-Elemebiri Road, the 30,000-seater stadium at Igbogene, and the nine-storey state secretariat complex.

Diri expressed the conviction that with work progressing on the three senatorial roads, all local government headquarters would be connected to the state capital and boost socio-economic activities across the state.

“With work progressing on all senatorial causeways, we are moving closer to an ambition our people have held since the creation of the state: to connect the capital to every local government headquarters and open up access to our coastal communities. This will boost fisheries, marine and blue economy enterprises, and tourism.

“These projects demonstrate that our beautiful terrain should not limit our ambition. With resolve, sound planning and prudent management, Bayelsa is building what many once thought were impossible.”

Giving a breakdown of the sectoral allocations, Works and Infrastructure got the lion’s share of ₦422.84 billion followed by Education ₦126.97 billion and Sports ₦68.50 billion.

Also, Health was allotted ₦53.32 billion, Security ₦24 billion, Public Utilities ₦22.94 billion and Agriculture got ₦17.74 billion.

Diri charged the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to enforce coordination, transparency and accountability and ensure effective implementation of the budget.

According to him, government would continue to improve its model schools, support accreditation of programmes in tertiary institutions, strengthen science and technical education and introduce digital learning tools in schools.

He added that the administration would pursue the upscaling of its 60 megawatts independent power plant to 100 megawatts and prioritise water provision in 2027.

Also, he remarked that the allocation to the sports sector would enable government accelerate work on the stadium project as the state prepares to host the National Sports Festival.

In his remarks, Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Michael Ogbere, commended Governor Diri for the successful implementation of the 2026 budget, and appreciated him for his visionary leadership.

Hon. Ogbere described Diri as a peace maker, bridge builder and a leader who has constructed roads and bridges across 80% of all communities in the state, expressing confidence that the projects outlined were achievable.

The Deputy Speaker assured the governor of the 7th Assembly’s support and speedy passage of the budget while the Majority Leader, Rt. Hon. Monday Bubou, moved a motion for the members to pass a vote of confidence on Governor Diri and the administration, which was unanimously endorsed by the lawmakers.

By Tony Okoh, Abuja

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, MD/CEO, of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) Engr Abdu Bello Mohammed has called for stronger synergy among stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), warning that the decentralisation of the sector should create more opportunities for investment and growth rather than result in fragmented infrastructure and poorly coordinated development.

Making this declaration on thursdz Mohammed who made the call at the ongoing Africa Energy Leadership Summit 2026, holding at the Landmark Centre, Lagos, from October 27 to 29, said Nigeria’s evolving electricity market required a more coordinated approach to infrastructure planning, system operations and information management as more states establish their own electricity markets and regulatory institutions under the Electricity Act 2023.

He explained that the emergence of multiple electricity markets, independent transmission infrastructure providers, decentralized generation and new distribution networks was changing the demands on the country’s electricity system.

Mohammed said NISO was expanding its role beyond conventional grid operations to serve as a neutral technical integrator, system coordinator and market facilitator, providing the planning, operational and market coordination interfaces needed to ensure that different institutions and market participants function efficiently within the wider electricity ecosystem.

He however clarified that NISO’s evolving role did not make it a regulator of state electricity markets or diminish the statutory responsibilities of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and State Electricity Regulatory Authorities.

According to him, “effective coordination had become increasingly important as state electricity networks connect to the national transmission grid, exchange electricity across state boundaries or depend on shared transmission infrastructure. But poorly coordinated investments could undermine the benefits of decentralisation.”

To address these challenges, Mohammed said NISO was advancing the application of Integrated Resource Planning methodologies to ensure that investments in generation, transmission and distribution complemented one another, were technically compatible, economically justified and aligned with the industry’s long-term development needs.

While identifying digitalization and access to reliable industry data as essential to improving coordination, transparency and investor confidence, he disclosed that NISO was pursuing the development of a centralized NESI data infrastructure to consolidate, validate, manage and share critical industry information.

In his words, “Our vision is a Nigerian electricity industry that is decentralized in its development opportunities, integrated in its infrastructure planning, coordinated in its operations, transparent in its market administration and attractive to sustainable private investment.”

He urged state governments, regulators, investors, development partners and technology providers to work with NISO to translate the opportunities created by the Electricity Act 2023 into measurable improvements in electricity access, reliability, affordability and economic development.