The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure greater infrastructure investment in the South-South, expressing dissatisfaction over what it described as the region’s limited inclusion in the Federal Government’s recently approved ₦3.94 trillion road projects.

The appeal follows the Federal Executive Council’s approval on Monday of road infrastructure projects valued at about ₦3.94 trillion across several states.

The approved projects include 25 road developments spanning 10 states, alongside ₦286 billion for the procurement of pollution-control, pilot-transfer and firefighting vessels for the nation’s seaports.

Speaking after the FEC meeting, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, said the approvals covered the ₦1.832 trillion Mokwa–Tegina–Bida–Lambata Road in Niger State, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway concession, and 23 other road projects across Adamawa, Taraba, Ebonyi, Kwara, Cross River, Kogi, Lagos, Niger, Oyo and Plateau states.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, PANDEF National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, acknowledged the Federal Government’s commitment to improving infrastructure but expressed concern that the Niger Delta received only a minimal share of the projects.

According to him, only one of the approved road projects directly benefits the region despite its long-standing infrastructure challenges.

“While commending President Bola Tinubu and his cabinet on this commitment towards the physical infrastructure of the country, we in the South-South lament the fact that our region has again been grossly shortchanged with a very insignificant allocation of projects from this humongous sum.

“It is indeed troubling and shocking that out of the 26 major projects, covering 10 states, the only one nearest to the South-South is the road connecting Benue State with Cross River State at the sum of ₦886 billion, with absolutely no allocation for any other road that runs through major parts of the South-South.

“For a part of the country that has continually suffered inexplicable infrastructural decay, this state of affairs has resulted in the inability of the citizens of the region to connect by road easily. This is very disturbing and totally unacceptable to the people of the Niger Delta,” he said.

The former diplomat also criticised the pace of work on the East-West Road, describing the project as one that has suffered years of delays despite repeated assurances of speedy completion.

He further lamented the condition of major ports in the region, including those in Calabar, Onne, Port Harcourt and Warri, alleging that they have received little attention in terms of rehabilitation, modernisation and upgrade.

PANDEF warned that continued neglect of the South-South could deepen feelings of exclusion among the people of the region.

The group urged President Tinubu to review the distribution of infrastructure projects, stressing that the Niger Delta remains the country's primary revenue-generating region.

“The above situation is a typical demonstration of the infamous inference to ‘starving the goose that lays the golden egg’. Undoubtedly, such continued relegation of our people creates feelings of systemic alienation and disenchantment.

“The people of the Niger Delta therefore call on Mr President to look into this matter with a view to reversing the situation, bearing in mind that the Niger Delta region is the revenue base of the country.”

PANDEF, however, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Federal Government's efforts to promote national economic growth, assuring that the people of the Niger Delta would continue to provide a peaceful environment for increased oil and gas production and broader economic development.