By The Evangelist News
The proposed Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway has sparked renewed concerns about regional equity, resource control and the development priorities of the Federal Government, particularly regarding the place of the South-South and Niger Delta regions in Nigeria’s infrastructure and economic development plans.
Critics of the country’s development model argue that the concentration of major infrastructure and industrial investments in selected parts of the country risks widening existing regional inequalities.
They contend that the reported prospect of a change in the coastal highway’s route, alongside concerns over the location of seaports, refineries and power plants, raises questions about whether resource-producing communities are receiving commensurate benefits from their natural wealth.
According to this perspective, Nigeria’s economic structure perpetuates a system in which resources extracted from less-developed regions are transported elsewhere for processing, commercialisation and export, leaving the communities of origin to contend with environmental damage, inadequate infrastructure and limited economic opportunities.
The argument further maintains that some influential individuals from resource-producing communities are incorporated into the existing power structure, creating an impression of local representation without necessarily addressing the broader concerns of the indigenous population.
Proponents of this view insist that meaningful development must go beyond political appointments to include industrial investments, employment opportunities and greater participation in decisions concerning local resources.
The Niger Delta, which remains central to Nigeria’s oil and gas economy, continues to face longstanding debates over environmental degradation, resource ownership, revenue distribution and the pace of infrastructure development. Critics are therefore calling for a more equitable national development strategy that ensures host communities benefit directly from the resources extracted from their land and waters.
They argue that sustainable national unity requires a system in which the Niger Delta is treated as a development partner rather than merely a source of raw materials for economic activities elsewhere.
