The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has expressed significant concern regarding the continued lack of infrastructural investment in the South-South region. During a media briefing on Friday, Ambassador Godknows Igali, the National Chairman of the organization, called upon President Bola Tinubu to address the area with greater equity and justice.
PANDEF voiced strong opposition to the distribution of a 3.9 trillion naira road project package recently approved by the Federal Executive Council. The group pointed out that although 26 major highway projects were sanctioned across 15 states, the South-South—the core of Nigeria’s oil and gas production—received virtually no share of these developments. Only a single project connecting Benue and Cross River states touches upon the region’s periphery.
Ambassador Igali emphasized that the region remains plagued by deteriorating roads, which inhibits connectivity and local economic movement. Furthermore, he noted that the East-West Road remains unfinished, and major regional ports in Calabar, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Warri suffer from a lack of necessary upgrades.
While the group remains committed to supporting national economic growth through increased oil production, it warns that the persistent exclusion of the South-South from federal infrastructure plans fosters feelings of systemic alienation. PANDEF has requested that the President review these allocations to ensure the region is treated with the fairness it deserves as a primary contributor to national wealth.
