The South-South Governors' Forum (SSGF) has thrown its weight behind President Bola Tinubu's bid for re-election in 2027, while unveiling plans to reposition the region as one of Nigeria's leading economic blocs through infrastructure development and industrial growth.

The resolutions emerged from the second meeting of the forum, held in Calabar on Monday and chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri. Governors and deputy governors from across the six South-South states attended the session, which was hosted by Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu.

According to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the forum agreed to prioritise the development of regional rail networks, the rehabilitation of seaports in Calabar, Port Harcourt and Warri, and the exploration of opportunities tied to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. The governors also resolved to hold quarterly meetings going forward, with the next session scheduled to take place in Uyo between November 6 and 8.

Speaking at the event, Governor Otu emphasised the need for the region to speak with a unified voice in order to fully harness its economic potential, describing collective action as essential to ensuring the region's interests are heard and respected at the national level. He called for the region to adopt a common stance on fiscal matters, including Value Added Tax allocations, oil and gas revenue sharing, and the 13 per cent derivation formula, while also seeking support for Cross River State's renewed push to be recognised as an oil-producing state.

Otu further proposed the creation of a regional economic corridor linking the Bakassi Deep Seaport to the East-West Road and ports in Bayelsa and Delta states, urging the region to move beyond raw resource extraction toward value-added production, particularly in cassava processing and ethanol manufacturing.

In his remarks, Governor Diri stressed that the forum's success should be measured by concrete outcomes rather than the frequency of its meetings, warning against the region becoming known merely for communiqués without corresponding action. He described his vision for the South-South as a future gas-industrial hub, maritime gateway for West Africa, and the nation's foremost blue-economy zone, while also raising concerns over the environmental toll of oil exploration on host communities and calling for expanded remediation efforts across the Niger Delta.

The meeting featured a presentation by the Director-General of the BRACED Commission, Ambassador Joe Keshi, on regional rail development, as well as a submission by PANDEF National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, advocating for the creation of a regional investment fund and greater investment in youth-driven economic initiatives.

The governors additionally agreed to deepen intelligence-sharing and coordinate security operations across the six states to safeguard oil and gas infrastructure, host communities, and economic corridors, while committing to engage President Tinubu directly on the region's infrastructural and environmental priorities.

The forum capped the meeting by reaffirming its unanimous support for President Tinubu's second-term ambition, alongside its broader agenda of advancing the economic and developmental interests of the South-South region.

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