The Rivers State Government has made good its pledge to address the clamour the decades-long clamour for one place where investors and businesses can clear all regulatory matters.

Director General of the State Investment Promotion Agency (RSIPA), Dr Chamberlain Peterside said this is a demonstration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara administration’s determination to promote ease of doing business in the State.

He said this on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at the unveiling of the Rivers State One-Stop-Centre (OSC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Ramping up on the excitement within the business community in the State, Dr Peterside said the One-Stop-Centre (OSC) is the best tool to serve as a big foundation for reinforcing the ease of doing business in the State, which is regarded broadly as the capital of the South-South Nigeria.

The unveiling of the OSC took place amidst RSIPA’s first interaction session with the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in the State.

Dr Chamberlain Peterside, who is a former Commissioner for Finance in the State and an investment expert, gave a rundown of the operational cycle of RIPA, highlighting the need to create a level playing ground for businesses to thrive in the State.

The RIPA Director-General explained how the agency would guide investors and create an experience for them in the State, disclosing that the agency would leverage technology to create a hybrid centre optimized to drive its operations digitally and manually.

He clarified that what makes such a centre to thrive is the availability of all regulatory agencies in one place so the investor would not need to hunt agencies down or deal with a multiplicity of them.

He added that what now makes Rivers State unique is that investors from anywhere in the world can now treat matters without needing to come physically all the time.

Earlier in his Welcome Address to the teeming number of investors and business owners, the Chairman of RSIPA, Anga Fubara said the event marked the continuing engagement with the business community in the State.

Anga, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), made it clear that RIPA was not in competition with other government agencies neither was it an implantation agency but one to work with the other agencies to create ease of doing business.

He further clarified that the RIPA’s mandate is to fasten business activities and provide the best climate for businesses to thrive, all in the bid to make Rivers State an investment haven.

He listed key areas of investment focus for Rivers State at the moment as Agriculture, Tourism, Entertainment, Power, Renewable Energy, and SMEs, saying that big businesses were important but small businesses were the major focus.

The highly attended event effectively downplayed the political tension in the State over the Supreme Court rulings and threats of instability rumbling in the clouds.

Most OPS leaders at the event welcomed the coming of the investment agency and the emergence of the One-Stop-Centre.

The first female President of the Port Harcourt City Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), Chinyere Nwoga welcomed the centre, observing that Rivers State has numerous investment opportunities that would require robust government policies to develop.

She expressed the enthusiasm that PHCCIMA would work with the State Government to exploit the abundant resources in the State and leverage for its economic growth and benefit of its people.

On her part, President of the Bonny Chamber of Commerce of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BonnyChamber), Constance Nwokejiobi harped on the criticality of the existence of RIPA, revealing the tremendous support the agency gave to the Chamber recently when trying to conclude a deal with the Caribbean group.

Nwokejiobi, who is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), urged the business sector to embrace RIPA for huge benefits ahead.

Executive Secretary of the Institute of Export Operations and Management (IEOM), Ofonasaha Udofia raised issues on high tariffs in the Port Harcourt ports that tend to escalate costs in the State.

Others raised concerns on multiple taxes by local government councils in the State, as well as challenges with accessing certificates of occupancy (Cs of O).

Officials of the Rivers State Government, specifically, from the Ministry of Lands, revealed details of how to get certificates of occupancy, insisting that Governor Fubara does not allow certificates of occupancy to last more than a day on his desk, explaining that most times what causes delay are the wrong steps taken often by land owners.