The recent effort by stakeholders from the South West and South South regions, through the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) and the BRACED commissions, to harness the economic opportunities presented by the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is highly instructive. This initiative forms part of the mandate of these two regional bodies, and such opportunities must be swiftly tapped to improve the well-being of the people and achieve the development aspirations of the two zones.
Security as a Prerequisite
The bodies must recognize from the outset that any development plans will amount to nothing if the security of lives and property is not factored in. They should learn from the pervasive insecurity and its adverse consequences in the country, as well as from the failure of similar development programs that have collapsed under insecurity.
Past Missed Opportunities
Nigerians, particularly in the two regions, are not encouraged that before the Lagos-Calabar road project started, several similar opportunities had opened to all regions but have not been tapped, even by DAWN and BRACED. These untapped opportunities hold strong potential for development. Notably, these bodies, set up as specialized institutions to facilitate sustainable development, regional integration, and economic growth, have yet to record remarkable achievements since their establishment, raising doubts about their capacity to deliver on the new plan. The perception is that they exist only in name, and it is difficult to blame skeptics who view the current talk about the highway as politics to endorse the project amidst criticism of its approval process, funding, and cost overruns. DAWN and BRACED have a responsibility to prove they are not executing an endorsement contract and that they have the capacity to tap the claimed opportunities for the benefit of their areas.
High-Level Engagement in Ibadan
Stakeholders from the two zones held a high-level engagement in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, recently, where they described the 75-kilometer Lagos-Calabar highway under construction as a potential catalyst for long-term national economic transformation if properly planned and managed. The event, convened by DAWN, included representatives from DAWN and the BRACED Commission (comprising Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, and Delta states), along with government officials, development experts, and private sector operators.
Participants agreed on the need for joint planning frameworks to maximize investments along the corridor. They noted that strategic utilization of the opportunities created by the coastal highway could significantly expand Nigeria’s economic output, with projections suggesting the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could grow to between $1.4 trillion and $14 trillion within the next 50 years.
Themed Engagement
At the event themed 'Unlocking the Economic Potentials of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: Land Governance and Regional Alignment for the South West Corridor,' the Director General of DAWN, Dr. Seye Oyeleye, described the highway as Nigeria’s biggest infrastructure initiative in six decades. He stated that the engagement was convened to ensure that states along the corridor avoid fragmented development approaches that have undermined previous infrastructure projects. Oyeleye specifically noted that collaboration among Lagos, Ogun, and Ondo states, alongside their South South counterparts, would enable the creation of industrial, green, and tourism zones along the highway.
Concerns About Regional Bodies
DAWN and BRACED were established to foster regional cooperation and economic integration, improve the business climate, and attract investors for sustainable development. However, it is a matter of concern that they have so far not justified their establishment. To many Nigerians, the story has been that of a dying vision due to lack of commitment from the leaders who initiated them. There is also a perception that the commissions are now being used to achieve selfish political ends.
Missed Opportunities in Power, Rail, and Oil
Following President Bola Tinubu’s signing of the Electricity Act 2023 on June 9, 2023, which empowers state governments, companies, and individuals to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity, expectations were that regions would be liberated from decades of epileptic power supply. This expectation was because regions like the South West, which have advocated true federalism, would seize the advantage to provide reliable electricity. Yet, this has not manifested. Epileptic electricity supply has scuttled development goals, killed social life, hampered self-reliance, spiked unemployment, and increased criminal activities.
This is an opportunity to transform the South West and South South that neither regional body has tapped. The same applies to the rail transport system, which the Federal Government deregulated through a constitutional amendment in 2023, allowing states to establish their own rail systems and breaking the Nigerian Railway Corporation’s monopoly. This opportunity has not been embraced by DAWN and BRACED. Nor have they tapped the opportunity for states to establish modular refineries and invest in the oil industry following deregulation of the downstream sector.
These facilities, when in place, would naturally attract foreign investors. But in how many places is anything serious happening? If DAWN and BRACED have not been able to take advantage of deregulation in power, rail, and oil sectors, what basis is there to believe they will do anything serious with the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway?
Infrastructure Needs for the Highway
Oyeleye spoke about creating industrial, green, and tourism zones along the highway. Won’t the expected investments need a constant power supply to operate? Oil exploration in the Niger Delta involves frequent movement of heavy equipment, usually from Lagos to the region, done by road in the absence of a rail system, putting pressure on roads. These should be of serious concern to both regions.
Call for Action
No doubt, regional cooperation should be encouraged as a measure to boost federalism and strengthen development programs. Such cooperation should go beyond optics and transform into practical possibilities. Failure of regional bodies in this regard will amount to insincerity and failure by those who established them. Therefore, DAWN and BRACED should show the capacity to deliver. The governors should exhibit the political will to make them work. They must prove their commitment to the transformation of their states and regions.
