By Onwa Ekor
Governors of the South-South geopolitical zone have resolved to build a stronger regional economic bloc anchored on infrastructure, maritime development, industrialisation and coordinated engagement with the federal government.
The decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 2nd South-South Governors’ Forum meeting in Calabar on Monday, chaired by Bayelsa governor, Senator Douye Diri.
The governors identified priority projects to include regional rail development, the rehabilitation of Calabar, Port Harcourt and Warri seaports, and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
They also resolved to meet President Bola Tinubu on critical issues of infrastructure, environmental remediation and fiscal equity, while pledging “100 per cent” support for his re-election in 2027.
Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, who is Vice Chairman of the Forum and host, said collective action was key to unlocking the region’s potential.
“We must come together as a people. The South-South has everything it takes to become one of Nigeria’s most formidable economic blocs,” Otu said.
He called for a unified regional position on VAT, oil and gas revenues and the 13 percent derivation, and sought support for Cross River’s campaign to regain oil-producing status.
Otu also proposed a regional corridor linking the Bakassi Deep Seaport with the East-West Road and Bayelsa and Delta ports, and urged a shift from raw resource export to value addition in agriculture, particularly cassava processing and ethanol.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Forum, Governor Diri, said the bloc must move “beyond resolutions to implementation.”
“We cannot afford to remain a region of meetings and communiqués. This meeting must produce movement and measurable progress,” he said.
Diri called for accelerated development of roads, rail, air and maritime infrastructure, and positioned the South-South as “Nigeria’s gas-industrial hub, West Africa’s maritime gateway and the country’s leading blue-economy zone.”
MmmHe also demanded expanded environmental remediation in the Niger Delta, noting that communities should not bear the cost of ecological degradation while sustaining the national economy.
The Forum said security and environmental sustainability were critical to attracting investment.
It resolved to strengthen intelligence-sharing and joint security operations to protect communities, oil assets and economic corridors.
Other highlights include the adoption of a proposal by PANDEF National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, for a regional investment fund, and a presentation by BRACED Commission DG, Ambassador Joe Keshi, on regional rail.
The governors resolved to institutionalise the Forum with quarterly meetings.
The next meeting will hold in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, from November 6 to 8, 2026.
