The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, has pledged continued support for efforts to project Bonny Island as a tourism destination, saying the union has shifted from crisis reporting to development communication.
The Chairman of NUJ Rivers State Council, Comrade Paul Bazia, who made this known at a Press Briefing at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre in Port Harcourt, said Rivers State is blessed with an abundance of resources and the media must shift from conflict reporting to writing stories that promote the investment opportunities in the state.
He said the huge tourism potential that areas such as Bonny Local Government Area have can be compared to what is obtainable in the Caribbean Nations.
“If we don’t blow our own trumpet, people won’t know that we have our trumpets. Most of the people that travel to the Caribbean, Bonny is more than that. Bonny is more than just the hydrocarbon headquarters. Bonny is beautiful. Bonny’s environment is therapeutic.”
Comrade Bazia stressed that tourism offers sustainable income that will not pollute the air or rivers.
“Our role is to ensure that our stories market the product that we have,” he said, urging journalists to promote the tourism potentials of the state.
He warned that failure to promote tourism potentials of areas such as Bonny could lead to economic stagnation and insecurity, which would ultimately hurt businesses.
“It is better for us now to get into it and sell the product that we have so that it will be a win-win for everybody,” he added.
The President of the Bonny Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Discover Bonny Initiative,
Mrs. Constance Nwokejiobi, Ph.D., while speaking on the tourism potential of Bonny, said the Discover Bonny Initiative is a three-year strategic programme aimed at transforming Bonny Island into a premier tourism destination.
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She said the Bonny Island Tourism & Investment Summit 2026, scheduled for August 18 to 20, 2026, includes a Tourism Concierge Platform, multi-tier partnership arrangements ranging from Platinum to Community Tourism levels, and a privately driven Tourism Centre.
She stressed that sustainable tourism cannot rely on the government alone and must be entrepreneurial and investable.
According to her, Bonny Local Government Area already accounts for an estimated 4 per cent of Nigeria’s national GDP, largely from oil and gas, and plans are on the ground to build a second, more sustainable economy rooted in tourism, heritage and hospitality.
She said the initiative draws strong backing from His Majesty King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, Perekule XI, Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, who has long promoted the island’s heritage and hospitality potential alongside its energy and industrial strengths.
Dr. Nwokejiobi called on Nigerians to embrace domestic tourism by visiting Bonny and invited international partners and visitors to explore the island as an authentic West African destination.
