‎FG endorses Bonny Island as tourism destination

Bonny Island in Rivers State has received formal endorsement from the Federal Government as a national tourism destination, clearing the way for the Bonny Island Tourism and Investment Summit scheduled for August 18 to 20, 2026.
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‎A letter obtained by Confiance News shows that the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, in a communication dated August 12, 2026, and signed by the Honourable Minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, confirmed the outcome of an official assessment of the island’s tourism assets ahead of the summit.
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‎The letter, referenced FMACTCE/HM/114/I, was addressed to the President of the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Dr Constance Nwokejiobi, in response to a formal request the Chamber submitted on July 14, 2026.
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‎In the letter, the Ministry stated that Bonny Island “possesses exceptional tourism resources with considerable potential for heritage, cultural, eco-tourism, and destination development,” listing the King’s Palace, St Stephens Cathedral, the Former British Consulate, Finima Nature Park and the island’s mangrove ecosystem among the sites assessed.
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‎The Ministry added that Bonny’s heritage and natural assets, alongside “the rich traditions, history, and hospitality of the Bonny people,” provide a strong foundation for sustainable tourism development and align with the Federal Government’s economic diversification agenda through tourism, culture and the creative economy.
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‎”Accordingly, the Ministry endorses Bonny Island as a tourism destination,” the letter read, commending the Bonny Chamber, the Bonny Kingdom, the Rivers State Government and other stakeholders for their role in preserving the island’s tourism and cultural assets. The Ministry further encouraged “prospective investors, tourism operators, development partners, and the travelling public” to explore opportunities for cultural immersion, heritage appreciation, eco-tourism and responsible investment on the island.
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‎Chamber unveils three year tourism roadmap
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‎Confiance News gathered that the endorsement follows months of engagement between the Chamber and federal and state tourism authorities, part of a wider push under the Discover Bonny Initiative, described by organisers as a three year strategic programme to transform Bonny Island into a premier tourism destination.
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‎Addressing journalists at a press conference on the island, Nwokejiobi said the summit marks a defining chapter for Bonny. “I stand before you today not merely to open a press conference, but to mark a defining moment in the story of Bonny Island,” she said.
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‎She described Discover Bonny as a structured investment framework rather than a promotional campaign. “Discover Bonny is not a slogan. It is a framework,” she said, listing its components as a Tourism Concierge Platform, a tiered Partnership Framework spanning Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Community and International levels, and a privately funded Tourism Centre. “Sustainable tourism cannot be built by government alone,” she said.
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‎Nwokejiobi told the press conference that Bonny Local Government Area already contributes an estimated four percent of Nigeria’s national GDP, largely from oil and gas, and said the initiative is aimed at building what she called “a second, sustainable pillar” for the local economy rooted in tourism, heritage and hospitality.
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‎Sixteen heritage sites listed for national recognition
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‎According to the Chamber’s July 14 letter to the Ministry, sighted by Confiance News, sixteen heritage sites and eight tourism products have been formally submitted for inclusion in national tourism marketing campaigns.
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‎The listed sites include the Perekule Royal Palace, the Ikuba Nungo ancestral square described as the historic House of Skulls, St Stephens Cathedral, the New Bonny Consulate Building, the Old Market Square linked to the transatlantic slave trade era, the Commonwealth Cemetery, Finima Beach, Finima Nature Park, and the Bonny Government School established in 1905.
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‎Tourism products submitted for recognition include the Okoloama December Fiesta, the Okoloama Fungumini Festival, the Amanyanabo Football Tournament, the Bonny Boat Regatta, the Bonny Island Marathon, and the Iria and Bibite ceremonies.
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‎Confiance News learned that the New Bonny Consulate Building, rebuilt with sponsorship from NLNG and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, now houses a museum, a library and a sixty seat cinema, and functions as what the Chamber describes as the Royal Embassy of King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III.
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‎Summit to coincide with King’s anniversary buildup
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‎The summit carries additional significance ahead of December 21, 2026, when King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, the Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, will mark thirty years on the throne. Nwokejiobi described the summit as “an early tribute to that milestone.”
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‎The three day event opens on August 18 with arrivals and courtesy visits. Plenary sessions and the formal launch of the Discover Bonny Initiative will hold on August 19 at the NLNG Banquet Hall. The programme closes on August 20 with a golf tournament, heritage tours, the Okoloama Fungumini Festival and a closing ceremony.
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‎Confiance News confirmed that organisers have already piloted parts of the visitor experience, including hiking tours along the new Bonny-Bodo Road, heritage walks through St Stephens Cathedral, and ecotourism excursions at Finima Nature Park.
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‎The Bonny-Bodo Road, temporarily opened by the Minister of Works in December 2025, connected Bonny to the Nigerian mainland by road for the first time in about six hundred years, giving the island road, air and sea access ahead of the summit.
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‎Chamber confirms Caribbean investment outreach
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‎The Chamber also disclosed ongoing international engagement targeting the Caribbean. Through Afreximbank’s support for a Caribbean corridor and bankability review, and participation at the Africa Continental Trade in Financial Services (ACTIF) forum alongside the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA), representing twenty five Caribbean nations, the Chamber said it has begun “attracting Caribbean investment and tourism interest to Bonny Island.”
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‎Nwokejiobi said the initiative is targeting both domestic and international audiences. “For Nigerians, we say: come discover Bonny, support domestic tourism, and see for yourself what our Kingdom offers,” she said. “For the international community, we say: Bonny Island is open, for investment, for partnership, and for visitors seeking an authentic, well managed West African destination.”
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‎The Bonny Island Tourism and Investment Summit holds from August 18 to 20, 2026, on Bonny Island, Rivers State, with NLNG and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited listed as Tier 1 partners.
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