Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has described the security of the state as a matter of national economic survival and cited its central role in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and the need to protect critical infrastructure across the Niger Delta.
Fubara made the declaration on Thursday at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base in Port Harcourt, where he inaugurated a rehabilitated runway designed to strengthen aerial operations in the South-South region.
The governor said the facility represented more than an infrastructure upgrade. He described it as evidence of a working partnership between the Rivers State Government and the military in tackling threats that could undermine the country’s economic interests.
“What we commission this day is more than concrete and asphalt. It is a statement of intent, a declaration that Rivers State stands firmly with those who stand guard over Nigeria,” Fubara said.
READ RELATED NEWS UPDATES
Ex-Rivers PDP acting chairman accuses Fubara of betraying state
Fubara had surrendered to Wike since emergency rule – Ex-Rivers PDP chair
Fubara reaffirms ‘Rivers first’ agenda as administration marks third anniversary
The restored runway is expected to improve the safety and efficiency of military aviation while giving the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) greater capacity to respond rapidly to security incidents across the region.
Fubara connected the investment directly to the protection of Nigeria’s economic assets, particularly in the oil-producing Niger Delta, where crude oil theft, illegal refining, and pipeline vandalism have continued to pose security and revenue challenges.
He said, “Rivers State occupies a strategic position in the economic life of this nation. As the heart of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, our communities, our waterways, our industries and our infrastructure carry a burden of national significance.
“The security of Rivers State is therefore inseparable from the security of Nigeria itself.”
The governor said a secure environment was essential for economic activity, investment, and development. He added that the state government had a responsibility to assist agencies charged with safeguarding facilities and assets that have consequences far beyond Rivers.
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture, while stressing that protecting national assets requires cooperation among federal institutions, state authorities and security formations.
Fubara disclosed that the partnership with the Air Force extends beyond the provision of infrastructure. The state, he said, has also supported measures aimed at improving the welfare and operational effectiveness of military personnel deployed in Rivers.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, praised the state government for funding the runway rehabilitation, calling the project an “eloquent testimony” to the partnership between the NAF and Rivers State.
Aneke, who inaugurated the facility, said the upgraded runway would bolster the Air Force’s ability to protect critical national assets and infrastructure within the state.
He described the intervention as timely, particularly as military aviation remains central to air operations, training exercises and disaster-response missions across the South-South.
For Rivers, the significance of the project extends beyond the perimeter of the Port Harcourt air base. A more capable aviation facility gives security agencies an improved platform for reaching vulnerable locations, monitoring difficult terrain, and responding to threats that can disrupt oil production and other economic activities.
The reopening therefore places infrastructure, security and economic protection on the same plane, reflecting the strategic importance of Rivers to Nigeria’s energy sector and national revenue base.
