KWALE INDUSTRIAL PARK: Matters Arising
By Fidelis Egugbo
In Nigeria, when one person gets a job, it is rarely just for themselves. Their income supports immediate family, extended relatives, friends, and even neighbours, a reflection of the African truth that we are our brothers’ keepers.
It was with this understanding that, on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, I joined the Deputy Governor of Delta State, His Excellency Sir Monday Onyeme, FCA, and members of the Delta State Economic Team on an inspection tour of Delta Wire Industries, one of the pioneer companies setting up at the Delta Special Economic Zone, Kwale popularly known as the Kwale Industrial Park in Ndokwa West Local Government Area.
The visit was an eye-opener. It underscored the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori administration’s sincerity in transforming Delta into an industrial hub. Just one company, Delta Wire Industries, plans to employ at least 1,000 people. If all six companies expected in the park employ the same number, that’s 6,000 jobs, and countless indirect opportunities for suppliers, transporters, hospitality operators, and small businesses in Kwale. The ripple effect would turn the town into one of Nigeria’s most vibrant economic centres almost overnight.
Technocrats On A Mission
Sir Monday Onyeme, himself, an Ndokwa son, was visibly pleased. Yet he was also practical, eager to know when Delta Wire would commence full operations. For now, most personnel on site were security staff safeguarding heavy equipment, a sign that work had begun and that some employees had already relocated to Kwale.
The Deputy Governor was accompanied by a formidable team: Commissioner for Finance, Sir Fidelis Okenmor Tilije; Special Adviser on Finance, Investments, and International Development, Chief George Orogun; Chief Economic Adviser, Dr. Barry Gbe; Private Secretary to the Governor, Mrs. Lyna Ochulor; Chairman of the State Bureau for Pensions, Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje; and DIDA Director-General Hon. Emeka Elekokwuri. Led on tour by Delta Wire’s Group CEO Mr. Osaro Abusomwan, they asked pointed, technical questions that left no detail unexplored.
These are not career politicians filling seats; they are seasoned professionals, each with proven track records in leadership and management. Their probing interest could easily have been mistaken for that of private investors safeguarding their stakes, a reflection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s deliberate choice to appoint round pegs in round holes, prioritising competence over political patronage.
From Vision To Reality
As an Ndokwa man and a journalist, I have long championed development for our region. When former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa initiated and established the Kwale Industrial Park, I was overjoyed. I even wrote about it in The Pointer Newspaper of July 28, 2019, in an article titled “Okowa’s Passion For Kwale Industrial Park.”
For decades, Ndokwa people had lamented marginalisation. We host the largest gas deposit in West Africa, multiple oil companies, and an Independent Power Plant that lights up Abuja, yet federal presence was limited to police stations and a prison, until a federal university was recently approved. Okowa changed the trajectory by planting a long-term economic seed: teaching us how to fish rather than giving fish.
But challenges remain, roads like Ugiliama–Ossissa and Obikwele–Ugiliama still beg for attention. In some parts, such as Abala in Ndokwa East, residents still depend on pontoons or canoes to cross rivers despite NDDC and Federal Ministry of Works’ existence.
Recognising this backdrop, Governor Oborevwori elevated Ndokwa’s stake in governance by choosing Sir Monday Onyeme, a respected philanthropist and “Ndokwa First” advocate, as Deputy Governor. His satisfaction during the inspection was not just political; it was personal. He knows the transformative potential: from hotels to airports, local markets to international trade, the park will energise the entire region.
Strategic Location, National Impact
Kwale Industrial Park is perfectly positioned. Finished goods can move easily to Warri Port for export, to Asaba International Airport for air freight, or to major commercial cities like Onitsha and Aba.
Deputy Governor Onyeme told journalists:
“This is an opportunity for other industrialists to come to Delta State. We already have two industries operating here and expect at least six because of the huge benefits, especially easy access to gas. The machinery on ground shows seriousness. What we saw today is far more convincing than any paper report, and we will ensure this project comes on stream quickly.”
CEO Osaro Abusomwan outlined ambitious production lines: H-beams, wires, nails, medical syringes and needles, CNG and LPG cylinders. “CNG revolution should start from Delta State,” he stressed, citing the abundant gas and secured rights from NNPC for distribution.
The park’s prospects are bolstered by the Kwale Gas Gathering (KGG) and injection facility, a 300MMscfd capacity project completed last year through a joint venture involving NDCL, NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company, and others. Designed to monetise stranded gas in OML56, the KGG connects multiple operators to the OB3 pipeline, with supply nodes dedicated to the industrial park.
Beyond Kwale — The Bigger Picture
The Oborevwori administration’s industrial drive is not limited to Kwale. Sir Onyeme recently led the same economic team to inspect the Aboh Ogwashi-Uku Agro-Industrial Park, envisioned as a flagship hub for agro-processing and export. The message is clear: this is a government building investment-ready infrastructure to fast-track industrialisation under its MORE Agenda.
But government effort alone will not deliver the “Delta of our dreams.” Citizens must match it with clean, safe, and welcoming communities. Investment flows where the environment is stable and hospitable.
Kwale’s moment has arrived. With patience, strategic engagement, and unity of purpose, Ndokwa can finally reap the full rewards of its natural endowments.
God bless Delta State.
Comrade Fidelis Egugbo,
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor
