…‘Progress must not stall’ – Presidential Aide launches Road to South-South 2.0
Stakeholders have expressed renewed concern over the environmental degradation and economic exclusion facing the South-South region, warning that Nigeria’s most resource-rich zone continues to shoulder the burden of powering the nation while remaining beset by underdevelopment.
Speaking at the second edition of Road to South-South: The National Convergence of the Renewed Hope Agenda on Wednesday at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe described the region as the “circulatory system” of Nigeria’s economy, whose neglect has become “untenable and dangerous.”
“For decades, the South-South has powered national growth, supplying the oil and gas resources that fuel the federation. Yet its own arteries remain clogged by environmental pollution, economic exclusion, and recurring social unrest. This paradox… is the heart of the national question we must resolve”, Jarigbe said.
He said the forum, convened by the Office of the President, signalled a shift “from rhetoric to roadmap, from grievance to strategy, and from isolation to collaboration.”
The senator outlined three priority areas requiring urgent action, beginning with a comprehensive Niger Delta Environmental Restoration and Sustainability Act to go beyond “palliative clean-ups,” ensure total remediation of polluted areas, and hold polluters accountable. He also called for coordinated environmental monitoring systems.
On economic reform, Jarigbe advocated a South-South industrial blueprint to attract investment into gas processing, petrochemicals, the blue economy, tourism, and sustainable agriculture.
He urged that the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative establish a strong implementation footprint in the region to drive industrialisation and create jobs.
He stressed that collaboration must translate into concrete results on the ground, identifying three strategic areas: infrastructure convergence among federal and state agencies to complete critical projects such as the East-West Road and expand seaports; a security-development framework to protect infrastructure and encourage legitimate economic activity; and targeted human-capital investment, including Centres of Excellence in energy and environmental studies and improved healthcare in oil-bearing communities.
“Security for pipelines must also mean security for people and their livelihoods,” he said, warning against top-down development that excludes host communities.
He proposed compulsory Community Development Agreements for major projects to guarantee employment, procurement, and measurable social impact, while insisting that traditional rulers and youth groups be central to planning and evaluation.
Jarigbe described the transformation of the South-South as a “moral obligation” and a prerequisite for national stability, economic resilience, and environmental justice, urging stakeholders to ensure the convergence “is not another talk shop” but a launchpad for a new compact among governments, the private sector, and the people.
He maintained that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda presents a fresh opportunity for collaborative action and insisted that meaningful transformation must start immediately with strategic policy, genuine partnership, and political will.
Earlier in her remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-South), Hon. Gift Johnbull, unveiled Road to South-South 2.0, describing it as a renewed push to deepen development and ensure that “progress must never stall.”
She said the initiative builds on the successes of the inaugural edition, which included Project Earn from the Soil, an agricultural empowerment programme that provided labour-saving machinery to thousands of farmers and attracted international recognition.
According to her, the new phase will focus on agribusiness, renewable energy, education, and technology transfer, turning global training and investment into local impact.
Johnbull urged stakeholders to partner closely, stressing that the South-South is not only Nigeria’s oil base but also an innovation hub, cultural heartland, and vital pillar of national unity and growth.
