Nigeria’s economic development has long been stifled by an over-reliance on a few seaports, primarily the Lagos ports, leading to congestion, inefficiencies, and significant economic losses. The need to unlock the full potential of the country’s maritime sector by operationalizing and optimizing the Eastern seaports has become more urgent than ever. President Bola Tinubu’s administration must take decisive steps to address this critical issue and ensure balanced regional economic development.
The Historical Context: A Policy-Induced Economic Imbalance
The often-discussed narrative of Igbos developing other regions and their friendliness towards non-Igbo communities is not a voluntary cultural phenomenon but rather a response to systemic policies and regulations. These circumstances were situation-induced, a product of Nigeria’s skewed political and economic structure, which left the Igbo people and the broader Southeastern and South-South regions with little choice but to explore alternative means of survival and growth.
Had Nigeria’s capital and major economic activities been strategically located in the Igbo heartland, the story could have been different. Alternatively, had Calabar remained the capital of Nigeria as it was during the colonial era, the economic and political drift of the entire nation might have shifted toward the Eastern region. The current reality of mass Igbo migration across Nigeria and beyond is not a natural evolution but a consequence of calculated economic and infrastructural exclusions.
The Igbo migration issue, therefore, is primarily a result of regulatory frameworks and national policies designed to divert economic activities away from the Southeast and South-South. Several key factors illustrate this deliberate marginalization:
- The Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and Policy-Induced Economic Disparities
The Eastern ports, including Calabar, Onne EPZ, Port Harcourt, and Warri, possess waterfronts capable of sustaining deep-sea vessels. However, these ports have been systematically underdeveloped and underutilized by federal bureaucrats. The failure to invest in and expand these ports is not due to a lack of potential but a fundamental policy decision to concentrate port activities in Lagos, turning the Eastern ports into glorified jetties.
Instead of fostering an equitable economic distribution, national economic planning and NPA policies have ensured that all significant port operations remain at the Lagos waterfront. Meanwhile, Abuja, the country’s capital, has been developed into a mega dry port headquarters, further centralizing economic activities in a way that disadvantages the Eastern region. This deliberate neglect has contributed to the Igbo importers’ tragedy, forcing them to rely on Lagos for trade, thereby inflating costs and creating logistical nightmares.
- The Abuja Factor: A Nuclear Economic Shift
The relocation of Nigeria’s capital from Lagos to Abuja under the guise of national unity and security concerns was, in reality, a strategic economic move that accelerated the migration of human and financial resources toward the North-Central region. The infrastructural explosion and economic transformation that followed this move demonstrate how government policies and location choices can directly influence economic patterns.
The accelerated growth of Abuja stands as a testament to the power of strategic planning and investment. The Southeast and South-South regions, however, were denied such opportunities, and the exclusionary economic policies continue to drain their potential. The relocation of the capital has entrenched a structural imbalance that has permanently diverted national resources away from the Eastern corridor.
- Federal Institutions and the Systematic Exclusion of the Southeast
The federal government’s infrastructure and institutions, ministries, parastatals, headquarters, and mega projects, are largely concentrated in the North and West, with negligible presence in the Southeast. The absence of federal headquarters and major government projects in the region has led to massive economic and population migration, depriving the Southeast of critical tax revenues and economic stimulation.
The benefits that come with hosting major government institutions, such as infrastructural development, economic activities, and employment opportunities, have been strategically denied to the Southeast. The region, instead, has been relegated to a labour-supplying zone, with its people forced to develop other parts of the country while their homeland remains underdeveloped.
- The Structural Barriers: Systemic Exclusion and Economic Strangulation
The broader national economic structure is inherently skewed against the Southeast and South-South regions. These structural barriers act as nuclear blockers, perpetuating human migration from the region and reducing its people to labourers and developers of other parts of Nigeria. The systemic neglect of infrastructure, federal presence, and economic incentives has left the Southeast with little choice but to seek survival elsewhere.
This systemic exclusion is at the core of the region’s growing agitations and frustrations. However, many ill-informed individuals fail to understand the root causes of these contradictions, attributing them to cultural or voluntary choices rather than deliberate economic disenfranchisement.
The Way Forward: Breaking the Cycle of Economic Marginalization
To correct these long-standing imbalances, President Tinubu must take decisive steps to unlock the Eastern seaports and provide equitable economic opportunities for all regions of Nigeria. The following actions are critical:
- Executive Directives for Port Expansion:
Mandate the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) to prioritize the dredging, modernization, and full operationalization of Eastern ports.
- Incentivizing Eastern Port Usage:
Provide tax breaks and incentives to shipping lines and businesses willing to utilize Eastern ports.
- Decentralization of Federal Institutions:
Ensure a fair distribution of federal institutions, headquarters, and mega projects to the Southeast and South-South.
- Security and Infrastructure Investment:
Deploy security forces and technological solutions to address piracy concerns and develop access roads, rail links, and logistics hubs.
- Legislative Advocacy:
Push for legislative reforms that mandate equal development opportunities across all regions.
Ultimately
The failure to develop Eastern ports and economic centers is not an accident but a calculated national policy that has marginalized an entire region. The ongoing exclusion of the Southeast and South-South from major infrastructural and economic plans has led to perpetual migration and underdevelopment.
President Tinubu has a unique opportunity to change this narrative by opening up the Eastern seaports and ensuring equitable national development. The time to act is now, Nigeria cannot afford to continue policies that stifle regional growth and economic potential. Opening up the Eastern ports will not only benefit the Southeast but also unlock Nigeria’s full economic potential, leading to a more balanced and prosperous nation.
By Hon. Chimazuru Nnadi-Oforgu
“Duruebube Uzii na Abosi”
http://www.oblongmedia.net
chimazuru65@gmail.com
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