Nigeria Has Stabilized; Is On The Rise, Soludo Declares At Delta Investment Summit
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has declared that Nigeria has successfully turned the corner economically and is firmly on the rise, driven by stabilizing macro-economic fundamentals and surging foreign exchange reserves.
Speaking at the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit 2026, themed Harnessing Our Strengths, Unlocking Our Potentials, Governor Soludo highlighted that Nigeria’s gross foreign exchange reserves have rebounded significantly to about USD 52 billion, rising sharply from USD 3 billion in 2023, noting that this improved macroeconomic environment provides a conducive foundation for sub-national and foreign capital investments.
Touting his own administration’s fiscal discipline, he revealed that Anambra has not borrowed a single dime since he assumed office, and even successfully opted out of a World Bank loan to protect the state from volatile exchange rate shifts.
Shifting focus to regional integration, the Governer announced readiness for partnership with Delta State, pointed out that he already building an economic free trade zone powered by an aerotropolis, comparing the dynamic bond between the two states to New York and New Jersey.
He also touched on security and civil life, noting that heavy Monday traffic in Onitsha served as a clear sign that the enforced sit-at-home era is officially over.
To drive sustainable job creation, the Anambra Governor urged citizens to patronize local products, estimating that shifting exclusively to Nigerian-made goods like the Akwete fabric could generate over ten million jobs, concluding by calling for a consolidated national marshal plan to translate macroeconomic gains into localized poverty reduction.
The summit featured contributions from other key economic figures, the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele stated that the Federal Government has established a solid macroeconomic foundation for sub-nationals to drive local growth, while the Director-General of World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala championed economic diversification and digital connectivity to empower Africa’s youth, affirming her status as a Nigeria optimist.
Prof. Patrick Lumumba urged Africans to lead investments under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and emphasized energy as a catalyst for industrialization, while the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori earlier opened the event by emphasizing that Delta is fully open for prospective investments.
