Governors of the South-South region, including Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, have resolved to unify their states into a formidable regional economic bloc driven by interconnected infrastructure, maritime development, and industrialisation.
Meeting under the auspices of the South-South Governors’ Forum in Calabar, Cross River State, on Monday, the leaders declared that the region can no longer remain trapped in environmental degradation and poor infrastructure while producing the bulk of Nigeria’s wealth.
The resolution, detailed in a communiqué issued following the meeting chaired by Bayelsa State Governor Senator Douye Diri, highlighted key priorities including a regional rail network, the modernisation of the Calabar, Port Harcourt, and Warri seaports, and leveraging the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
To ensure the initiative translates into direct results, the governors established a commitment to hold quarterly sessions and rigorously monitor implementation timelines.
Akwa Ibom State will host the next session in Uyo from November 6 to 8, 2026.
Supporting the initiative, Director-General of the BRACED Commission, Ambassador Joe Keshi, presented actionable proposals for regional rail networks, while National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, advocated for a regional investment fund to mobilise resources for cross-border projects.
Igali emphasised the need to position young people at the heart of this economic transformation through sustained entrepreneurship, job creation, and skills acquisition.
Cross River State Governor and Vice Chairman of the Forum, Senator Bassey Otu, stressed that the region must abandon fragmented efforts and present a unified front on strategic development goals.
Highlighting areas such as cassava processing, ethanol production, and a proposed transport corridor linking the Bakassi Deep Seaport to the East-West Road, Otu noted that cooperation would significantly boost the region’s bargaining power.
He urged his colleagues to adopt a common stance on fiscal equity—particularly regarding Value Added Tax, oil and gas revenues, and the 13 per cent derivation principle—while soliciting their backing for Cross River State’s ongoing campaign to regain its oil-producing status.
Echoing these views, Forum Chairman Governor Douye Diri warned against allowing the alliance to become a body of unfulfilled promises, stating, “We cannot afford to remain a region of meetings and communiqués; the meeting must produce movement.”
Diri called for accelerated investments to position the South-South as Nigeria’s gas-industrial hub, West Africa’s maritime gateway, and the nation’s premier blue-economy zone.
He emphasized that the region’s severe environmental damage, polluted waterways, and neglected communities require a coordinated response that transcends individual state borders.
In addition to economic integration, the Forum linked its growth ambitions directly to regional security and ecological restoration, demanding stronger intelligence-sharing to protect critical maritime routes and infrastructure.
On the political front, the governors reaffirmed their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, pledging “100 per cent” support for his re-election bid in 2027.
However, they maintained that this political backing will be tied to direct, ongoing engagements with the President regarding fiscal justice, urgent infrastructure delivery, and widespread environmental remediation across the Niger Delta.
