South-South governors have resolved to build a stronger regional economic bloc anchored on infrastructure connectivity, investment mobilisation, maritime development, industrialisation and coordinated engagement with the Federal Government, as they seek to translate the region’s enormous economic potential into tangible prosperity for its people.
The resolution formed the thrust of the communiqué issued at the end of the second meeting of the South-South Governors’ Forum, held in Calabar, Cross River State, on Monday under the chairmanship of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri. The governors identified regional rail development, the rehabilitation and modernisation of the Calabar, Port Harcourt and Warri seaports, and the economic opportunities offered by the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as strategic priorities.
They also resolved to engage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on critical South-South concerns, particularly infrastructure and environmental development, while reaffirming their commitment to his re-election in 2027 with “100 per cent” support from the region. The Forum further resolved to institutionalise its activities through quarterly meetings, with Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, scheduled to host the next meeting from November 6 to 8, 2026.
The communiqué also embraced a broader regional investment strategy, reflecting the presentation by the Director-General of the BRACED Commission, Ambassador Joe Keshi, on efforts to advance regional infrastructure, particularly rail development. Godknows Boladei Igali, PANDEF National Chairman, had advocated a regional investment fund capable of mobilising capital for projects that transcend individual state boundaries, while also urging the governors to place young people at the centre of the region’s economic transformation.
The emerging agenda, therefore, seeks to move the South-South from isolated state-level initiatives towards an integrated economic space driven by shared infrastructure, investment and value chains. Hosting the meeting, Governor Bassey Edet Otu, Cross River State Governor and Vice Chairman of the Forum, said the region’s ability to secure meaningful development depend on the