IYC Canvasses Inclusion of Niger Delta Ports in National Maritime Development Agenda

• Urges Tinubu to balance development across all geopolitical zones

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

Few days after Nigeria and the United Kingdom inked agreement to transform the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has called for the strategic inclusion of Niger Delta ports in the national maritime development agenda.

The umbrella body of Ijaw youths worldwide, while commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts in modernizing Nigeria’s port infrastructure stressed the importance of fairness, equity, and adherence to federal character principles in the distribution of national assets.

In a statement signed by Binebai Princewill, the IYC called for the development, rehabilitation, and operationalization of key ports in the Niger Delta region, including Burutu, Warri, Onne, Sapele, Bonny, Koko, Brass, Agge Deep Seaport, and Gelegele Seaport.

It said these ports are historically significant and possess strategic advantages for trade, logistics, and industrial expansion.

The IYC highlighted the need for balanced development across all geopolitical zones to decongest Lagos ports, stimulate economic growth, create job opportunities, enhance national security, and promote regional industrialization.

The council urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that port development projects reflect national balance and called on relevant agencies to initiate feasibility assessments and partnership frameworks for reviving these maritime assets.

The statement read: “The Ijaw nation, which has contributed immensely to Nigeria’s economic survival—particularly through oil and gas resources—deserves equitable access to infrastructure that will further unlock its economic potential.

“We therefore urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to demonstrate statesmanship by ensuring that ongoing and future port development projects reflect true national balance. The principle of federal character must not be theoretical; it must be visible in tangible projects that impact the lives of all Nigerians.

“It is our considered position that Nigeria’s maritime development must not be disproportionately concentrated in Lagos State alone.

“The continued centralisation of port infrastructure in Lagos not only places undue pressure on existing facilities but also sidelines historically significant and economically viable ports across the Niger Delta and Ijaw territories.

“The current concentration of port development in Lagos—reportedly involving investments valued at over N1.3 trillion—raises serious concerns about regional imbalance and economic exclusion. Nigeria is a federation, and its development must reflect inclusivity across all geopolitical zones.

“The IYC Worldwide wishes to clearly state that the continued refusal or failure of the Federal Government to address such critical and genuine demands for inclusivity remains one of the major drivers of rising ethnic agitations across the country.

“Nigeria, as a multi-ethnic nation, must be governed with fairness, justice, and balance, where every ethnic group feels a sense of belonging and equitable treatment. Anything short of this, risks deepening divisions and undermining national unity.”

The IYC however reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful advocacy for justice, equity, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta and the Ijaw territories.