In this oil rich kingdom, the queen consort values another resource

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🗞️ Driving the news: In Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta, Olori Atuwatse III, Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom, is focusing on a different kind of resource: human capital
• Through the Royal Iwere Foundation, she is investing in education, entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment and environmental initiatives to address the region’s long-standing development challenges

🔭 The context: Despite decades of petroleum wealth, many communities in the Niger Delta continue to face limited access to clean water, healthcare, schools and basic infrastructure
• Olori Atuwatse III describes this as a “resource curse,” where natural resources are extracted without sufficient local development

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The initiative highlights a broader shift from resource-dependent development models toward people-centred sustainability
• By combining environmental projects, sustainable farming education and economic empowerment, the Warri Kingdom is promoting resilience beyond fossil fuel dependence

⏭️ What’s next: The Royal Iwere Foundation plans to expand programmes focused on education, entrepreneurship and environmental action, while the queen continues efforts to develop African leadership through initiatives such as the Elevate Africa Fellowship

💬 One quote: “Our biggest resource is our human resource. My vision, my hope is to build our people so that they can build our communities.” – Olori Atuwatse III

📈 One stat: 44 participants in the foundation’s women’s entrepreneurship programme have formally registered businesses, while a 150 million naira ($110,000) loan facility was launched to support women entrepreneurs

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