The south-south states are considered a regional economic bloc

The governors identified the construction of a regional railway, the rehabilitation and modernization of the ports of Calabar, Port Harcourt and Warri, as well as the economic opportunities presented by the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as key pillars of the proposed regional economic integration.

Governors of the South-South region gathered to discuss ways to position the region as a strong economic bloc, through integrated infrastructure, maritime development and industrialization.

The governors took the position at a one-day meeting of the Southsouth Governors Forum in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State and chaired by the governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri.

The governors identified the construction of a regional railway, the rehabilitation and modernization of the ports of Calabar, Port Harcourt and Warri, as well as the economic opportunities presented by the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as key pillars of the proposed regional economic integration.

They also decided to engage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directly on critical development issues impacting the region, particularly infrastructure and environmental degradation, and pledged “100 percent” support for his re-election next year.

The governors also decided to institutionalize the Forum through quarterly meetings, with Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, scheduled to host the next meeting on November 6 to 8.

The emerging regional agenda represents a shift from largely state-centric development initiatives towards a coordinated economic strategy in which the six states will jointly undertake infrastructure, investment, industrial value chains and other projects that extend beyond their respective state borders.

The Forum’s position follows a presentation by the Director General of the BRACED Commission, Ambassador Joe Keshi, on strategies for strengthening regional infrastructure, with special emphasis on railway development.

The National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, also reviewed the establishment of a regional investment fund capable of mobilizing capital for projects of regional importance.

Igali urged governors to put young people at the center of economic transformation in the region, as Southsouth seeks to transform its abundant natural and human resources into jobs, enterprise and sustainable wealth creation.

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Hosting the meeting, Cross River State Governor and Deputy Chairman of the Forum, Senator Bassey Otu, said the region could only gain greater economic and political influence through collective action.

Otu said Southsouth had the resources and strategic advantages necessary to become one of Nigeria’s most formidable economic blocs, but warned that fragmentation could continue to undermine its potential.

“We have to come together as a society; we have to work together, and we have to make sure that our voices are heard and respected,” he said.

He called for a common regional position on fiscal equalization issues, particularly Value Added Tax, oil and gas revenues, as well as the 13 percent derivation benchmark.

The governor also sought support from his colleagues for Cross River State’s campaign to regain its oil producing status, casting the request as part of the state’s broader efforts to expand its economic base and ensure greater opportunities for its people.

On the infrastructure front, Otu proposed the development of an integrated economic corridor linking the Bakassi Deep Sea Port in Calabar with the East-West Road and ports in Bayelsa and Delta states.

He also advocated deeper integration of the region’s agricultural economies, and urged countries to move beyond exports and consumption of raw commodities towards value addition, industrial processing and large-scale job creation.

According to him, the production, processing and development of cassava ethanol can be part of a broader regional industrialization strategy that can create jobs while strengthening local value chains.

“We cannot continue to be the domain of meetings and communiqués,” said Diri, emphasizing that every Forum meeting must produce “movement” and measurable progress.

The Bayelsa Governor argued that most of the challenges in Southsouth are regional in nature and cannot be addressed effectively through isolated state level interventions.

Diri identified connectivity as fundamental to the region’s economic transformation, and advocated accelerated development of road, rail, air and maritime infrastructure, including the East-West Road, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the regional rail network.

He said the South-South Corridor must position itself as “the hub of Nigeria’s gas industry, West Africa’s maritime gateway and the country’s leading blue economy zone.”

In addition to economic expansion, governors also linked development ambitions in the region to environmental security and sustainability, and recognized that investment and industrial activity would remain vulnerable without adequate protection of communities, economic corridors and critical infrastructure.

Therefore, the Forum advocates stronger intelligence sharing and coordinated security operations across the six states to protect communities, waterways, oil and gas installations, and other strategic economic assets.

Environmental restoration was also central to the governors’ deliberations, with Diri drawing attention to the paradox of a region that has contributed greatly to Nigeria’s wealth and also endured severe ecological consequences from decades of resource exploitation.

He called for expanded environmental improvements in the Niger Delta, arguing that economic development in the region must be accompanied by the restoration of degraded communities and ecosystems.