Governors of the six South-South states have thrown their weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027, pledging “100 per cent” support while unveiling an ambitious plan to transform the region into one of Nigeria’s most powerful economic blocs.
The declaration was made on Monday at the second meeting of the South-South Governors’ Forum (SSGF) in Calabar, chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri.
But beyond the political endorsement, the meeting produced a far-reaching economic agenda aimed at deepening regional integration, improving infrastructure, attracting investment and strengthening the South-South’s bargaining position with the Federal Government.
The governors resolved to fast-track the development of regional rail networks, rehabilitate the Calabar, Port Harcourt and Warri seaports, promote industrialisation and maximise the economic opportunities presented by the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
They also agreed to present a united front on issues affecting the region and to institutionalise quarterly meetings, with Uyo scheduled to host the next session from November 6 to 8, 2026.
‘We have everything it takes’
The host governor and Vice Chairman of the forum, Senator Bassey Otu of Cross River State, said the South-South could only achieve its economic potential through greater unity and cooperation.
“We must come together as a people; we must cooperate, and we must ensure that our voice is heard and respected,” Otu said.
He declared that the region had “everything it takes” to become one of Nigeria’s most formidable economic blocs, urging his colleagues to adopt a common position on critical issues affecting the region.
Otu specifically called for a coordinated regional position on fiscal equity, including Value Added Tax, oil and gas revenues and the 13 per cent derivation benchmark.
He also sought the support of the forum for Cross River’s campaign to regain its oil-producing status.
As part of his economic vision for the region, Otu proposed an integrated economic corridor linking the Bakassi Deep Seaport with the East-West Road and ports in Bayelsa and Delta states.
He argued that the South-South must move beyond dependence on the export of raw resources and embrace value addition, identifying cassava processing and ethanol production among the areas with significant economic potential.
‘The meeting must produce movement’
In his opening remarks, Governor Diri challenged the forum to move beyond meetings, speeches and communiqués and concentrate on delivering measurable results.
“We cannot afford to remain a region of meetings and communiqués. The meeting must produce movement,” Diri said.
The Bayelsa governor said the resolutions of the forum must translate into “measurable progress”, stressing that the South-South should position itself as “Nigeria’s gas-industrial hub, West Africa’s maritime gateway and the country’s leading blue-economy zone”.
Diri, however, warned that economic development could not be separated from the environmental crisis confronting the Niger Delta.
“We cannot continue to produce the wealth while communities remain surrounded by environmental devastation,” he said, calling for expanded environmental remediation across the region.
Rail, ports and investment
The forum’s economic agenda was reinforced by a presentation from the Director-General of the BRACED Commission, Ambassador Joe Keshi, on regional rail development.
The National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali, also called for the establishment of a regional investment fund and a stronger focus on youth-led economic transformation.
The governors resolved to strengthen intelligence-sharing and coordinate security operations across the six states to protect oil and gas infrastructure, communities and major economic corridors.
They also agreed to engage directly with President Tinubu on the region’s infrastructure and environmental priorities.
Tinubu gets South-South backing
The political dimension of the meeting culminated in the governors’ declaration of “100 per cent” support for Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The endorsement places the South-South governors among the early political blocs to publicly commit their support to the President ahead of the next general election.
However, the forum’s resolutions suggest that its political commitment is being paired with a broader attempt to redefine the relationship between the region and the Federal Government through a coordinated economic and developmental agenda.
With its oil and gas resources, extensive coastline, seaports, agricultural potential and strategic position within the Gulf of Guinea, the South-South remains central to Nigeria’s economic architecture.
The governors now face the task of converting their latest resolutions into concrete projects and policies capable of demonstrating that regional cooperation can deliver the “measurable progress” promised at the Calabar meeting.
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