PANDEF Demands 50% Oil Derivation, Sets Up Technical Committee on Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has demanded an increase in the derivation allocation to oil-producing states from the current 13 per cent to a minimum of 50 per cent, insisting that the region deserves greater compensation for decades of environmental degradation and economic losses associated with oil and gas exploration.
The demand was part of resolutions reached at a meeting of PANDEF’s Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee held in Abuja and virtually on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, with the forum also calling for the abolition of the onshore/offshore dichotomy in revenue allocation.
The meeting, attended by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Obong Victor Attah, and National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, brought together former governors, former ministers, traditional rulers, political leaders and other stakeholders from the six South-South states.
In a communiqué signed by Attah and Igali, PANDEF argued that the existing 13 per cent derivation allocation had remained unchanged for more than two decades despite the environmental damage, health hazards and developmental challenges confronting oil-producing communities.
The forum stated that increasing the allocation to 50 per cent would enable affected states and communities to address longstanding developmental deficits and the consequences of petroleum exploration.
On infrastructure, PANDEF welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to retain the original alignment of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a distinct strategic project and resolved to establish a high-level technical committee to assist the Federal Ministry of Works in advancing its implementation.
It declared that the accelerated completion of the highway was non-negotiable, noting that the project would improve connectivity, stimulate trade and investment, strengthen national integration and unlock the economic potential of the Niger Delta’s blue and marine resources.
The forum also commended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to modernise the ports of Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar, while welcoming proposed deep-sea port projects in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa states.
However, it urged the Federal Government to establish a sustainable financing framework for the port projects, comparable to arrangements for major port infrastructure around the Lagos corridor.
On environmental protection, PANDEF called for adequate, sustained and transparent funding of the Ogoni clean-up programme and demanded a comprehensive framework for extending environmental remediation to other polluted communities across the Niger Delta.
It specifically identified Nembe Creek in Bayelsa, Odidi in Delta and Kula in Rivers as communities requiring urgent environmental attention.
The communiqué stated: “After more than six decades of oil and gas exploration and production, communities throughout the Niger Delta continue to bear the consequences of environmental degradation, pollution, and damage to their ecosystems and livelihoods.”
PANDEF further urged presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections to demonstrate commitment to environmental justice by presenting practical, measurable and time-bound plans for the clean-up and restoration of affected communities.
On economic development, the forum called for accelerated investment in the region’s gas resources, noting that the Niger Delta holds more than 209 trillion standard cubic feet of natural gas reserves.
It advocated the development of gas-based industries, power generation facilities, mini-LNG plants, LPG and CNG hubs, petrochemical industries and other value-added enterprises to promote industrialisation, create jobs and improve electricity supply.
The forum also urged the Federal Government to renew its commitment to modular refinery development through appropriate financing, licensing, technical support and environmental compliance frameworks.
It said properly regulated modular refineries would complement existing large-scale refining projects, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products and stimulate employment and local enterprise.
PANDEF equally called on the Federal and state governments to prioritise agricultural development, identifying palm oil, rice, cassava, vegetables and horticultural products as key areas for investment and economic diversification.
The meeting also proposed the establishment of a South-South Investment Fund to mobilise resources from individuals, businesses and institutions for strategic investments, enterprise development, job creation and sustainable economic growth.
Reviewing its first decade of advocacy, PANDEF highlighted the establishment of the South-South Development Commission, commencement of activities at the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, and the upgrading of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, among its notable achievements.
The forum also commended its leadership’s interventions towards restoring peace in Rivers State and ongoing efforts to resolve the oil-well dispute between Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, as well as promote peaceful inter-ethnic relations in Warri, Delta State.
On the 2027 general elections, PANDEF urged South-South residents to exercise their civic responsibilities peacefully and vote for candidates whose programmes and demonstrated capacity align with the aspirations of the region.
It also called on Niger Delta indigenes holding public offices, particularly at the federal level, to demonstrate greater commitment to the activities and objectives of the organisation.
Reaffirming its commitment to constructive engagement with the Federal Government, state governments and other stakeholders, PANDEF declared that “the development of the Niger Delta is inseparable from the development of Nigeria.”
The forum was established ten years ago as an umbrella socio-political organisation to advance the collective interests and aspirations of the South-South region.
