The Garden City Advancement Awards and Summit is Rivers State most prestigious and reputable annual event created to celebrate notable patriots and distinguished organisations that continue to develop Rivers State. It is also a platform for stakeholders in the state to advocate for good governance and transformational leadership.
Rivers Statelies on the coastal plain of the eastern Niger Delta. Its surface geology consists of fluvial sediments such as silica sand, glass sand and claytransported by Niger River distributaries and other rivers, such as Andoni, Bonny and New Calabar rivers.Rivers State produces strategic minerals (especially crude oil and gas) and other agricultural products which can all be mobilized for the State’s economic growth and development but the state however is famous for its vast reserves of crude oil and natural gas. If the State government in their planning and development policies, aim at pursuing a vigorous diversification of the economy to the extent of creating a much more enabling economic environment that attracts local and international entrepreneurs to the State.
Firstly, the government has to maintain social and political peace among indigenous and non-indigenous elements residing in the State through regular dialogue and also among political bigwig.
Secondly, the State has to mandate the Ministry of Energy Resources to ensure the provision electricity in all villages and towns of the state, stabilize power supply within the state metropolis.
Thirdly, in addition to all the road constructions going on within the state, the government of the day should build bridges that will link Rivers State with otherstates, secure the water ways and road networks so that transportation will be effective.
Other incentives that the government needs to look into for the sake of investors and developers include tax holidays, tax relief, provision of uninterrupted power supply, and pioneer status scheme for newly established industries in order to survive the initial capital outlay and other related problems.
With large scale industries, such as Oil Refineries, Petrochemical, Seaports, Airports, Fertilizer And Liquefied Natural Gas,Telecoms, Real Estate, Manufacturing Companies, Sports, Entertainment, Education, Agricultureand other oil service industries in the state,offers many industrial and economic development opportunities for profitable investment and economic growth because of the vast investment opportunities in Rivers State in these sectors listed above, there is urgent need to reposition the state for prosperity by strategically showcasing these opportunities to the international communities.
The 2016 Edition of this prestigious eventwill bring together over One Hundred notable and respected personalities and corporate organisations to discuss on topical issues affecting the progress and security of the state. The deliberations will be focusing on the theme: BUILDING A PROSPEROUS ECONOMY ON THE PILLARS OF PEACE, SECURITY AND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT”.
This summit willbe dedicated to highlighting need for diversification from crude oil sustained economy and proffer solutions to tackle sabotage of oil & gas installations, youth restiveness and social welfare, also paying attention to environmental pollution and the security situations in the state as it affects entrepreneurship and human capital development in River State and also suggested ideas on the next growth sectors of the Rivers economy with a view to identify sectors that can immensely improve on the living standards and restore peace and hope in the State.
The high point of the event will be the GACA AWARDS where Individuals and corporate organizations making a difference across government parastatals, agencies, ministries, private institutions towards the advancement of the garden citywill be referenced and celebrated while their stories are marked as global template to challenge mediocrity and inspire excellence.
The GACAAaward will confer distinguishedhonours on deserving individuals, corporate organisationsand companies who have contributed outstandingly to the development of Rivers State in the areas of Academics, Health care, Oil and gas, Engineering, Technology, Humanities, Hotel and Hospitality services, Transportation, Entertainment including Arts & Culture and other fields of human endeavor
It is important to note that this award is not an exclusive preserve of Rivers State indigenes alone. On the contrary, non indigenes and foreigners who have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields of endeavour in the advancement of the state will also receive this honor.
The maiden edition of the event which held on 13th September 2014 at the Hotel Presidential in Port-Harcourt was one of its kindas it honouredwell meaning Rivers citizens from both the public and private sectors in various fields of human endeavour. The 2015 edition of GACAAwards which also took place at the Hotel Presidential on the 31st October, 2015, was remarkable and Had in attendance the executive governor of Rivers State (represented), among many other dignitaries, the resource persons were phenomenal: Mr. Musa Kimo, Commissioner of Police Rivers State, Spoke on “Peace and Security Panacea for Economic Development” and Mrs Titi Horsfall, oil and gas expert and a renowned novelist spoke on “Mentoring the Youths on Strategic Leadership, the issues and the way forward”. Recipients and their guests as well as other stakeholders present at the event were overwhelmed by the articulation of the ideas, issues and solutions presented in course of the 2015 GACAAwards and summit. This year, the GACAAwards and Summit 2016 promises to be bigger and better as Heritage-Plus the official organizers of the event is working out modalities to allocate more time to the Summit sessions to enable for incisive deliberations, brainstorming and proffer pragmatic solution on key issues bordering on the development of Rivers State.
