Delta Investment Summit: Lumumba Challenges Delta to Build a Future Beyond Today’s Leaders

Renowned Pan-African scholar and governance advocate, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, has challenged the Delta State Government to think beyond local development and position the state as a globally competitive industrial and investment hub capable of driving Africa’s economic transformation.

Speaking at the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit 2026, Lumumba commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for the developmental strides recorded across the state but insisted that Delta’s ambitions must extend beyond Nigeria if it is to realise its full economic potential.

According to him, Delta State has the natural resources, human capital and economic strength needed to compete on the global stage. However, he stressed that achieving this would require strategic planning, industrialisation, research, reliable energy, and stronger integration with the rest of Africa.

While acknowledging the state’s progress, Lumumba urged the government to measure its success against global standards rather than comparing itself with neighbouring states.

“The question is, with all the resources that we have, whether we are talking about agriculture, whether we are talking about minerals, whether we are talking about oil, whether we are talking about pharmaceutical sectors, whether we are talking about the blue economy, what are we doing that is keeping with the demands of the 21st century?”

He noted that Africa’s future depends on building competitive economies capable of attracting investment, creating jobs, and participating meaningfully in global trade.

Lumumba encouraged Delta State to leverage the opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and position itself as a destination for manufacturing, innovation, and industrial production rather than relying primarily on oil revenue.

The former Director of the Kenya School of Law also criticised the tendency of African governments to depend heavily on foreign investors while overlooking the investment capacity that already exists within the continent.

“It is deeply tragic that in our interpretation and understanding of who an investor is in the continent of Africa, we still don’t think that fellow Africans are investors. We think, and allow me to be blunt, that our investors must be Malaysians. We think that our investors must be Brazilians. We think that our investors must be Chinese. That is not the case.”

He urged Delta State to broaden future investment summits by attracting more African investors from countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Sudan, Morocco and Egypt, describing intra-African investment as critical to the continent’s long-term economic growth.

According to Lumumba, true development should empower Africa instead of creating dependence on external economies.

“And I’m submitting to us that many times what we call development is not development, is parasitism.”

He also called on the Federal Government to remove barriers restricting the free movement of Africans across the continent, arguing that easier mobility would boost trade, investment, and regional integration.

Lumumba further challenged Governor Oborevwori to make Delta’s development model an example for other Nigerian states and, ultimately, the African continent.

“You are entitled to celebrate what is happening here in Delta. But it must be a contagious positive thing. You must contaminate Anambra that they do the same thing. You must contaminate other neighbors. And ultimately, you must contaminate the federal government.”

The Pan-African scholar also emphasised the importance of investing in research, innovation, and human capital. He urged the state government to strengthen universities, research institutions, and skills development programmes to ensure graduates contribute meaningfully to industrial growth.

Highlighting the importance of infrastructure, Lumumba described reliable electricity as the backbone of industrialisation, echoing earlier calls by business leaders at the summit for increased investment in the power sector.

“You can talk development all you want. But if you don’t have energy, you are going nowhere.”

Concluding his address, Lumumba said Delta State has enormous potential but warned that sustaining its progress would require visionary leadership focused on long-term competitiveness rather than short-term achievements.

“Delta looks promising. Keep it that way. Make it even better. Think beyond yourselves, bearing in mind that you are not truly successful until your successor also succeeds.”

The Delta State Economic and Investment Summit 2026 brought together government officials, investors, development partners, captains of industry, and policymakers to explore strategies for accelerating industrialisation, expanding investment opportunities, and positioning Delta State as one of Africa’s leading investment destinations.