South-South Govs unite to unlock region’s economic potential

South-South governors have resolved to build a stronger regional economic bloc anchored on infrastructure connectivity, investment mobilisation, maritime development, industrialisation, and coordinated engagement with the Federal Government.

The governors made the commitment in a communiqué issued at the end of the second meeting of the South-South Governors’ Forum, held in Calabar on Monday under the chairmanship of Bayelsa Governor, Sen. Douye Diri.

The Forum identified regional rail development, rehabilitation, and modernisation of the Calabar, Port Harcourt, and Warri seaports, as well as the economic opportunities presented by the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, as key priorities for regional integration.

The governors also resolved to engage President Bola Tinubu on critical South-South concerns, particularly infrastructure and environmental development, while reaffirming their support for his re-election in 2027.

They further resolved to institutionalise the Forum through quarterly meetings, with Uyo, Akwa Ibom, scheduled to host the next meeting from Nov. 6 to Nov. 8, 2026.

The meeting also considered a broader regional investment strategy, following a presentation by the Director-General of the BRACED Commission, Amb. Joe Keshi, on efforts to advance regional infrastructure, particularly rail development.

National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Amb. Godknows Igali, advocated the establishment of a regional investment fund capable of mobilising capital for projects that transcend individual state boundaries.

Igali also urged the governors to place young people at the centre of the region’s economic transformation.

The emerging agenda seeks to move the South-South from largely state-based development initiatives towards an integrated economic space driven by shared infrastructure, investment, and value chains.

Hosting the meeting, Cross River Governor and Vice Chairman of the Forum, Sen. Bassey Otu, said the region’s ability to secure meaningful development depended largely on the capacity of its states to speak and act collectively.

“We must come together as a people; we must cooperate, and we must ensure that our voice is heard and respected,” Otu said.

He maintained that the South-South possessed the resources and economic potential to become one of Nigeria’s most formidable economic blocs if the states could overcome fragmentation and harness their resources within a common regional framework.

Otu called for a unified regional position on fiscal equity, particularly Value Added Tax, oil and gas revenues, and the 13 per cent derivation benchmark.

He also sought the Forum’s support for Cross River’s campaign to regain its oil-producing status, describing it as part of the state’s efforts to expand its economic opportunities.

On infrastructure, Otu proposed a regional economic corridor linking the Bakassi Deep Seaport in Calabar with the East-West Road and the ports in Bayelsa and Delta.

He also advocated greater integration of the region’s agricultural economies, stressing the need to move beyond the exploitation and export of raw resources.

The governor called for increased value addition, industrial processing and job creation, particularly through cassava production, processing and ethanol development.

Diri, in his opening remarks, said the Forum must distinguish itself through implementation rather than rhetoric.

“We cannot afford to remain a region of meetings and communiqués,” he said, stressing that “the meeting must produce movement” and that decisions reached must translate into measurable progress.

He said the South-South could no longer afford fragmented approaches to challenges that were inherently regional, calling for coordinated action on infrastructure, transportation, security, environmental remediation and economic integration.

The Bayelsa governor identified connectivity as the foundation for regional economic transformation and called for accelerated development of road, rail, air and maritime infrastructure.

He specifically mentioned the East-West Road, Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and regional rail networks as critical infrastructure for unlocking the region’s economic potential.

Diri said the South-South should deliberately position itself as Nigeria’s gas-industrial hub, West Africa’s maritime gateway and the country’s leading blue-economy zone.

He also drew attention to the region’s environmental burden, saying that a region that contributed significantly to Nigeria’s economic growth should not continue to bear disproportionate consequences of ecological degradation.

The governor called for expanded environmental remediation across the Niger Delta, stressing the need to address the contradiction between the region’s economic contribution and the environmental devastation suffered by its communities.

The governors consequently linked economic development with security and environmental sustainability, noting that investment could not thrive where communities, waterways and critical infrastructure remained vulnerable.

The Forum advocated stronger intelligence-sharing and coordinated security operations to protect communities, oil and gas assets and economic corridors across the six South-South states.

The governors also resolved to strengthen their engagement with the Federal Government on regional development priorities and to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

The South-South region comprises Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states.

Infopowerng reports that Governors from Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Bayelsa States were present while Edo, Delta, and Rivers States were represented by their deputies.