BRACED—a name as classy as it is inspiring. In 1999, as Nigeria’s Fourth Republic emerged, the governors of the six states making up the Niger Delta convened and established the BRACED Commission. Their goal? To forge a robust regional economy through cooperation and integration, achieving sustainable development and collective benefits for the region’s people. The acronym derives from the first letters of the six states: Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, and Delta.
In April 2009, under the charismatic leadership of Donald Duke, Cross River State hosted the first South-South Economic Summit at the futuristic Tinapa Resort. The summit marked the beginning of a bold attempt to outline a regional development framework. Three years later, Asaba, the Delta State capital, hosted the second summit, organised by Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan. The event drew global attention, with Rwandan President Paul Kagame delivering the keynote address.
Read also: Nigeria’s strategic investment policy for the 21st Century: A blueprint for sustainable growth
The discussions were bold and forward-thinking. Among the resolutions was a call for revising Nigeria’s revenue allocation formula to direct more resources to states. A key focus was the worsening power supply and the need to unbundle the national grid. The governors recommended establishing a Niger Delta Energy Corridor (NDEC) to harness the region’s abundant gas resources and create a reliable electricity supply. This initiative, they argued, would spur industrialisation, generate employment, and drive economic transformation. Agriculture was also prioritised as a critical area for regional development.
The summits offered a roadmap to unshackle the BRACED states from dependence on federal allocations. However, politics intervened. The planned 2015 summit, to be hosted by Godswill Akpabio’s Akwa Ibom State, never materialized. Personal ambitions and political rivalries among the governors derailed what was emerging as a unified platform for the region’s development. Successive governors showed little interest in the South-South agenda. Nyesom Wike, Rivers State’s combative leader, prioritised alliances outside the region over fostering regional cohesion, further fracturing the initiative.
Amid this inertia, Ambassador Joe Keshi, Director-General of the BRACED Commission, attempted to sustain the vision by organising sector-specific discussions. However, without the active participation of governors, these efforts lacked the momentum needed to translate ideas into action.
A legacy of missed opportunities
The resolutions from the Asaba summit in 2012 underscore that the Niger Delta has never lacked visionary ideas. What it lacks is the political will and cohesion to execute them. The South-South remains fragmented in national politics, often failing to project and defend its interests effectively.
“The South-South remains fragmented in national politics, often failing to project and defend its interests effectively.”
Take electricity, for instance. With over 80 percent of Nigeria’s gas deposits located in the Niger Delta, the region had a unique opportunity to push for constitutional amendments that would move power generation and distribution from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list. Such a shift would have allowed states to bypass the inefficiencies of the national grid. Yet, even with one of their own, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, as president, the BRACED states failed to capitalise on this window.
The region’s inability to act decisively on these issues reflects a broader failure to play national politics strategically. Instead of leveraging its resources and political clout to drive development, the South-South has often been sidelined in the broader national agenda.
The Asaba Summit Blueprint
The 2012 Asaba summit laid out a comprehensive roadmap for the region’s development. It urged the BRACED Commission to provide developmental leadership for Nigeria, consistent with the historical resourcefulness of the South-South. Key recommendations included:
Restructuring the federation: Advocating for a revised revenue allocation formula that gives more powers and funding to states and local governments.
Power and gas policy reforms: Enabling states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity, thus complementing federal efforts and utilising the region’s untapped capacity.
Agricultural development: Accelerating the implementation of agricultural initiatives to ensure food security and diversify the region’s economy.
Integrated transport infrastructure: Developing a multimodal transport strategy involving rail, roads, waterways, and airports.
Quality education and ICT adoption: Focusing on curriculum development, teacher training, and incorporating ICT into all levels of education.
Leveraging the service economy: Tapping into the region’s creative industries, entertainment, culture, and tourism for economic growth.
Climate change mitigation: Adopting measures to conserve biodiversity, plan land use effectively, and integrate sustainable infrastructure.
These resolutions remain as relevant today as they were a decade ago. They represent a bold vision that could catalyse the Niger Delta’s transformation and set an example for the rest of Nigeria.
Read also: Real-time payments to unlock $15bn GDP growth in Nigeria — Report
The way forward
The BRACED states must rise above the myopia of personal ambitions and divisive politics. The region needs leaders who are statesmen, willing to put the collective good above narrow interests. With the roadmap already in place, the challenge lies in implementation.
The governors must revive the South-South Economic Summit as a platform for collaboration and accountability. They must also foster partnerships with the private sector and civil society to drive regional initiatives. Importantly, the BRACED Commission must be empowered with the resources and authority to coordinate and oversee these efforts.
Development does not require reinventing the wheel. The Asaba summit provided a framework for sustainable growth. The BRACED states have the resources, talent, and potential to lead Nigeria’s charge toward equitable development. What they need is the will to act.
The BRACED Commission was conceived as a beacon of hope for the Niger Delta, a mechanism to unlock the region’s vast potential. Yet, over a decade later, it remains a symbol of unfulfilled promise.
The question is not whether the BRACED states can succeed—the blueprint and resources are there. The question is whether their leaders will rise to the occasion, abandoning the politics of division and inertia for the politics of progress and unity. The region’s future depends on it.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
