A new international convention centre opened in Nigeria’s Delta State on 17 June 2026 – and the story behind it is slightly unusual.
The Newton Jibunoh International Convention Centre (NJICC) sits within the Nelson Mandela Gardens & Resort at the Asaba International Airport complex. It’s designed to host conferences, corporate meetings, cultural exhibitions, policy dialogues and institutional gatherings. The facility includes a main auditorium, an upper-level documentary and exhibition gallery, a library and a museum.
The centre is named after Dr Newton Jibunoh (pictured), a Nigerian environmentalist, explorer and philanthropist whose decades of advocacy on desertification have earned him international recognition. Jibunoh is the founder of FADE Africa and DIDI Museum, Nigeria’s first privately-owned museum, and has represented Nigeria at climate summits in Bangkok, Copenhagen and Cancun. The opening date was chosen to coincide with UN World Desertification and Drought Day.
The opening ceremony was attended by Delta State governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Asagba of Asaba and the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka visited ahead of the opening, in part as a library room has been named in his honour. Another room was named after author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Dr Jibunoh said: “The Newton Jibunoh International Convention Centre is more than a building. It is a statement – that Africa can lead, that our heritage deserves a world-class home, and that the work of environmental advocacy, cultural preservation and community development must continue for generations to come.”
As of yet, we do not possess information about the centre’s capacity.
