The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has endorsed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project and commended President Bola Tinubu for starting the legacy infrastructure initiative. It is also demanding that the oil derivation allocation be raised from 13 per cent to at least 50 per cent.
PANDEF National Leader, Dr Godknows Igali, spoke to journalists in Abuja after a meeting of the group’s Board of Trustees.
Igali rejected claims that no studies were conducted before work on the road began. He said government agencies, including the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), had earlier carried out extensive technical, geotechnical and geophysical studies of the area.
He thanked the President but said the people of the Niger Delta only need a categorical statement from him guaranteeing that the project will be completed.
On the route’s history, Igali said: “The meeting noted the Federal Government’s decision to retain the original broad alignment of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a distinct legacy strategic infrastructure project, coming after the reported reconsideration of an earlier proposal to integrate the route into the East-West Road.
“PANDEF recalls that the Coastal Highway has a long historical background, predating Nigeria’s independence, and has featured prominently in national discussions about the development, connectivity, and economic integration of the coastal communities of the Niger Delta.”
To support smooth execution, PANDEF said it has set up a high-level technical committee to assist the Federal Ministry of Works. It stressed that the highway must be built alongside the East-West Road and other dilapidated routes in the region.
Concerns over ‘flip-flop’ statements
Despite backing the project, the forum said it was shocked by what it called the “flip-flop” statements of Works Minister David Umahi on the project’s viability. It insisted that clearer assurances are needed from the highest authority because the region produces the nation’s wealth.
“PANDEF demands that the accelerated, successful completion of the highway is non-negotiable. Besides, it will boost connectivity across the coastal states, stimulate trade and investment, strengthen national integration, and unlock economic opportunities, especially of the blue and marine resources throughout the Niger Delta and the wider Nigerian economy,” Igali said.
Rail, ports and gas
PANDEF also made these demands:
Rail: The Federal Government should establish appropriate North-South rail connections linking the region for the benefit of the whole country.
Seaports: While welcoming plans for new seaports in the region, the government should disclose their funding sources transparently, following the framework used for the Lekki and Apapa ports.
Gas industries: Gas-based industries, including power generation, mini-LNG, LPG, CNG hubs and petrochemicals, should be developed faster through strategic public and private investment.
Modular refineries: The government should set clear frameworks for financing, licensing, technical support and environmental compliance.
Food security: Authorities should use the region’s ecological conditions to boost food security.
Derivation and onshore/offshore dichotomy
On fiscal federalism, PANDEF said the 13 per cent oil derivation, provided for under Section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution, is long overdue for review. It noted that the provision has not changed in over two decades despite massive environmental degradation.
The forum called for an increase from a minimum of 13 per cent to a minimum of 50 per cent to help oil-producing states tackle ecological and developmental deficits.
It also urged the National Assembly, working with the Federal Government and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), to initiate legislative and constitutional measures to abolish the onshore/offshore oil revenue dichotomy. Igali said offshore incidents directly devastate the marine ecosystems and fishing grounds on which coastal livelihoods depend.
2027 elections
Reiterating its apolitical stance, PANDEF urged South-South residents to exercise their civic responsibilities peacefully ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“PANDEF calls on the people of the South-South to exercise their civic responsibilities peacefully and vote according to their conscience, choosing candidates at all levels whose programmes, commitments, and demonstrated capacity align with the aspirations of the region and who can contribute meaningfully to the peace, progress, and development of the Niger Delta,” Igali said.
