The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has demanded that the derivation fund for oil-producing states be raised from 13 to 50 per cent, and declared completion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway non-negotiable.
The demands were contained in a communiqué read by National Chairman Ambassador Godknows Igali after a Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja and virtually on Tuesday.
Board Chairman Obong Victor Attah and other South-South leaders attended.
PANDEF said the 13 per cent minimum under Section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution has not changed in over two decades. It urged the Federal Government, RMAFC and the National Assembly to act, and called for abolition of the onshore/offshore dichotomy.
The forum flagged Nembe Creek (Bayelsa), Odidi (Delta) and Kula (Rivers) for urgent intervention. It demanded sustained, transparent funding for the Ogoni clean-up, a framework to extend remediation to other communities, and measurable environmental plans from 2027 presidential candidates.
PANDEF welcomed the retention of the original alignment of the 750km Lagos-Calabar highway and will set up a technical committee to support the Works Ministry. It also urged rehabilitation of the East-West Road, a north-south rail link, port modernisation at Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar, and new deep-sea ports in Ibom, Bonny and Agge, with sustainable financing.
It called for investment in gas infrastructure, power, mini-LNG, LPG and CNG hubs and petrochemicals, plus modular refineries backed by financing, licensing and compliance frameworks.
It also urged a coordinated regional farming programme for palm oil, rice, cassava and vegetables, covering seedlings, mechanisation, roads, storage, processing and financing.
PANDEF dusclosed its plans to explore a market-based South-South investment fund and will engage the private sector on a framework.
It urged South-South residents to vote peacefully and by conscience for candidates whose programmes match regional priorities. The forum cited its role in restoring peace in Rivers State, resolving the Akwa Ibom-Cross River oil-well dispute, and improving inter-ethnic relations in Warri. Marking its 10th year, it reaffirmed constructive engagement with governments and stakeholders, and urged Niger Delta indigenes in public office, especially federally, to show stronger commitment to the region.