The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has criticised the Federal Government’s allocation of recently approved N3.9 trillion road infrastructure projects, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of once again sidelining the South-South despite the region’s central role in sustaining Nigeria’s economy.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, PANDEF National Chairman, Godknows Igali, flanked by members of the group’s Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee, described the distribution of the projects as “troubling and shocking,” saying the oil-producing region was “grossly shortchanged.”
While acknowledging the Federal Government’s decision to commit substantial resources to road infrastructure, the forum argued that the allocation failed the test of fairness, equity and national balance.
According to PANDEF, the Federal Executive Council approved 26 major road projects across 15 states at a cost of N3.9 trillion, yet the only project with any connection to the South-South is the Benue-Cross River road, valued at N886 billion, leaving the core Niger Delta states without any major federal road intervention.
“The South-South has once again been grossly shortchanged,” the group said, noting that poor road infrastructure continues to isolate communities and make interstate travel within the region difficult despite its enormous contribution to national oil and gas revenues.
The forum also lamented the prolonged delay in completing the East-West Road, describing the highway as “a metaphor for a failed project” despite repeated assurances by the Minister of Works that it would be delivered without further delay.
Beyond road infrastructure, PANDEF accused the Federal Government of neglecting critical maritime assets in the region, saying the ports in Calabar, Onne, Port Harcourt and Warri have remained largely abandoned, with no visible programme for rehabilitation, expansion or modernisation.
It warned that continued neglect of the Niger Delta amounted to “starving the goose that lays the golden egg,” arguing that years of inadequate federal investment have deepened feelings of marginalisation and alienation among the region’s people.
The group urged President Tinubu to review the distribution of federal infrastructure projects to ensure the South-South receives what it described as its fair share, stressing that the region deserves greater investment in recognition of its strategic contribution to Nigeria’s economy.
Despite its criticism, PANDEF reaffirmed the Niger Delta’s commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability, pledging continued support for increased oil and gas production while expressing hope that the Federal Government would embrace the principles of fairness, equity and justice in future infrastructure planning.