Okonjo-Iweala urges Nigeria to embrace better maintenance culture, says Delta can become the next industrial hub

• WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says Nigeria must embrace a stronger maintenance culture.

• Speaking at the Delta State Investment Summit, Okonjo-Iweala said Delta has the potential to become Nigeria's next industrial hub by leveraging global supply chain diversification and opportunities under the AfCFTA.

• Okonjo-Iweala urged the government to prioritise better ports, digital infrastructure, and lower trade costs

Okonjo-Iweala made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Delta State Investment Summit in Asaba on Monday.

Speaking on the changing global economic landscape, she noted that countries have become increasingly wary of overdependence on a few major economies since the COVID-19 pandemic. "In recent years, particularly since the COVID pandemic, it has become clear that the world economy designed for interdependence is now marked by some troubling overdependencies," she said.

She explained that the world's reliance on the United States for digital services and China's dominance in critical minerals have fuelled concerns and accelerated the push to diversify global supply chains.

According to her, this shift presents a unique opportunity for Delta State to position itself for industrial growth by leveraging the AfCFTA.

"The desire for deep diversification and deconcentration of global supply chains and the desire to seize the opportunity of the African Continental Free Trade Area is what we are talking about. It's at the heart of what I think Delta State should be thinking about in its growth and development strategy," she said.

The WTO chief expressed confidence that the state possesses the resources and strategic advantages needed to emerge as one of Nigeria's leading industrial centres.

"I'm convinced that Delta State has the ingredients to become Nigeria's next great industrial hub, standing alongside Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt as an engine of the national economy," she stated.

She added that the emergence of another major economic hub would reduce pressure on existing commercial centres.

"The emergence of a new growth pole here in Delta State would be good for Nigerians at home. It will help decongest some of our economic hubs like Lagos and Kano that are becoming overcrowded."

Okonjo-Iweala also commended the Delta State Government for its development plans, particularly its proposed 2026 budget and its focus on special economic zones.

However, she cautioned that financial resources alone cannot guarantee development.

"But the fact is that endowment alone does not add value. Budgetary allocations alone do not lead to good roads or good maintenance. We lack a maintenance culture in the country," she said.

She urged governments to focus on implementation, noting that improving port infrastructure, expanding digital infrastructure and reducing trade costs are essential to boosting Nigeria's competitiveness.