The excitement that has heralded the long expected reinstatement of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, after the September 18 expiration of the emergency rule imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu on March 18 following a political crisis, seems to have emitted a fresh energy into the market space of the oil-rich state.

Christened the treasure base of the nation because of her rich deposits of material resources, especially oil and gas, Rivers State has suffered economic setback since Fubara’s suspension six months ago, as most of the projects he embarked on were either abandoned or left at the mercy of the contractors handling them allegedly without much supervision while many businesses that thrived off the trickle effects of those projects – such as the pay service banks popularly known as point of sale (PoS), food kiosks or bukas, canteens and the hawking trade – either closed down or experienced huge losses. Many companies, especially those in the construction supply chain, were also adversely affected.

However, the expiration of the emergency rule on Thursday, 18 September, and Governor Fubara’s return on Friday, 19 September, 2025, have brightened the economic prospects of Rivers State, as traders, commercial drivers, government contractors, government and private workers and Rivers masses in general are now excited.

Impressed by the liberality that characterised his governance and the socio-economic transformation, human capital and infrastructural development that hallmarked his administration even amid the crisis – a score card that endeared him to many – the Rivers public see Governor Fubara’s return as another opportunity for the state to return to the trajectory of prosperity.

BusinessDay checks revealed that this optimism is rubbing off on the market space of the state, with business owners and operators, traders and workers desperately waiting to reconnect to the prosperity course which Fubara’s government charted before his suspension and which they believe he would re-activate as he returns to the Brick House.

Glory Akpere, a civil servant in one of the LGAs in the state, while lamenting over the non-payment of their salaries for more than a month now, expressed hope that Governorr Sim Fubara would do something about it.

“Since last month, they’re still owing us. We’re just managing to survive. Now that the governor is back, I pray he will do something about it because we’re suffering,” she told BusinessDay in Port Harcourt.

Chibu Nkwocha, a food stuff seller at Mile 1 Market, said despite the Rivers governor not returning on Thursday, 18 September (the day the emergency rule expired), there was hope he would return on Friday.

He added that the suspense surrounding his return did not affect their business as customer patronage remained stable.

“There’s no problem; everything is okay, market is moving fine. He (Fubara) will come back (to government house) today,” he said, with a tone of excitement.

The banking sector in Rivers State is not left out in this gradual economic resurgence as they seem to have made more cash available in their automated teller machines (ATMs) on Friday.

The head of security of a popular bank in Port Harcourt told BusinessDay in confidence that their customers accessed cash from their ATMs more than on Thursday.

As Governor Siminalayi Fubara returns to re-mount the saddle of governance of his state, optimism is high that the market space and the entire Rivers economy will experience sustained revival that will boost the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) and create employment opportunities for Rivers people. (BusinessDay)