A leading peace, environmental, and justice advocate, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, PhD, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to prioritize monumental road and bridge projects in the Niger Delta’s coastal areas, just as it is investing heavily in Lagos.
Mulade’s appeal follows the Federal Government’s plan, announced by Minister of Works Engr. David Umahi, to rehabilitate the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos with an allocation of ₦3.8 trillion. This comes after ₦21 billion was spent on emergency repairs last year, while reports show that the Carter Bridge will require ₦359 billion for replacement due to structural decay.
While commending the government for addressing critical infrastructure in Lagos, Mulade stressed that the oil-rich Niger Delta—which generates most of Nigeria’s revenue—remains deliberately neglected despite hosting the oil and gas industry.
He argued that strategic projects such as the Warri-Gbaramatu-Escravos Bridge, the Forcados-Ogulagha Bridge, and the Ayakoroma-Burutu-Forcados link road would unlock massive infrastructural and economic opportunities for coastal communities like Odimodi, Izon-Burutu, Obotobo, and others.
“If trillions can be earmarked for Lagos bridges, then the people of the Niger Delta, who provide over 80% of the nation’s oil revenue, also deserve landmark projects. Our coastal areas are rich in economic potential but remain cut off due to poor transport infrastructure,” he said.
Mulade, the Ibe Serimowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, further accused some Niger Delta governors—particularly non-Ijaw leaders—of sidelining coastal communities in development plans while focusing on upland areas to attract investors.
He urged the Tinubu administration to reverse decades of neglect by opening up Niger Delta’s coastal belt, thereby creating jobs, boosting the blue economy, and giving its people a long-denied sense of belonging.
