By TrackNews Online
The National Secretary of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Dr. Ayebakuro Itari Igbet, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the proposed approval of the Ibom Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom State and the $3.5 billion Bakassi Deep Seaport in Cross River State, urging the Federal Government to move beyond verbal assurances and commence the actual contract award processes.
Igbet, who spoke with journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday, November 13, 2026, described the development as a positive indication that the Tinubu administration is responding to the long-standing demands of Niger Delta communities.
However, he insisted that the reported approvals must translate into concrete action, including the commencement of bidding processes, contract awards and mobilisation of construction companies to the project sites.
According to him, the people of the Niger Delta deserve more than announcements on campaign platforms, stressing that the Federal Government must demonstrate its commitment through tangible steps towards the actual construction of the proposed ports.
“We commend Mr. President for verbally approving the Ibom Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom and the Bakassi $3.5 billion Seaport in Cross River. These are age-long demands of our brothers in those states, and we are happy that the President has heard them.
“But we must be frank. Verbal approval is good, but it is not construction. Mr. President must go a step further. The Federal Government must commence the processes for bids and award of actual contracts for the construction of these ports. Our people want to see contractors on site, not just promises on campaign podiums and newspaper headlines,” he said.
The IYC National Secretary also called on President Tinubu to extend similar consideration to Bayelsa State by taking concrete decisions on the proposed Agge Deep Seaport and Brass Deep Seaport ahead of the anticipated presidential campaign team’s visit to Yenagoa on December 15, 2026.
He specifically urged the President to ensure that the contractors handling the proposed Bayelsa seaport projects, alongside their respective contract sums and implementation timelines, are announced during the visit.
Igbet further suggested that Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is expected to represent the President at the campaign event, should use the opportunity to communicate concrete Federal Government commitments to the projects.
Drawing comparisons with the proposed Ogun State seaport projects, which he said received presidential approval while President Tinubu was in France, the IYC scribe challenged the Federal Government to demonstrate the same level of commitment to Bayelsa.
“We are asking Mr. President to do for Bayelsa what he did for Ogun. When he was in France, he put pen to paper for the two Ogun seaports. When he comes to Yenagoa, let him be represented by his Vice President, H.E. Kashim Shettima, who should stand on the podium and announce not just the approval, but the contractors for the Agge Deep Seaport and the Brass Seaport,” he said.
He maintained that Bayelsa, as one of the major oil-producing states and a central part of the Niger Delta, deserves strategic infrastructure investments capable of unlocking its economic potential.
“Bayelsa is the heart of the Niger Delta. We produce the wealth of this nation. We should not be left with only verbal promises. Let the President come with contractors, with timelines, with documents and the actual amounts of the two projects. That is what will show that Bayelsa is truly in his Renewed Hope Agenda,” he added.
The IYC National Secretary also recalled that during the 2023 presidential campaign, Tinubu reportedly promised to make the Ibom Deep Seaport a priority, but expressed concern that the project did not progress as expected.
He warned that the newly announced commitments to the Ibom and Bakassi projects must not suffer a similar fate or be abandoned after the 2027 general elections.
“In 2023, Mr. President promised to make the Ibom Deep Seaport a priority. The Niger Delta remembers that promise. We do not want a repeat of that story. Our people should be taken seriously, not treated as an ignorant audience for political entertainment.
“This is why we are saying, let the process start now. Let the bids be advertised, let the awards be made, and let the contractors be mobilised before the elections, so that even after 2027, the projects cannot be overtaken by events. The Niger Delta has waited too long for seaports. We cannot wait for another campaign season,” he stated.
Igbet emphasised that the Ijaw Youth Council was not opposed to the development of seaports in Akwa Ibom and Cross River, noting that the Council supports infrastructure development across the Niger Delta.
However, he called for equity and fairness in the distribution of major federal infrastructure projects, particularly concerning Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta states, which he described as highly riverine areas with significant potential for maritime and deep seaport development.
“We love our brothers in Akwa Ibom and Cross River. Their joy is our joy. But Bayelsa must not be left behind. Agge and Brass are not just Bayelsa projects; they are national economic gateways that will open up the entire Niger Delta to the world.
“That is why we call on Mr. President to use his visit to Yenagoa to make history. Let Bayelsa hear the name of its contractor on that podium. That will be the real Renewed Hope for our people,” he said.
The IYC National Secretary reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to constructive engagement with the Federal Government, stressing that the organisation would continue to advocate concrete development projects and measurable commitments for the Ijaw Nation and the wider Niger Delta.
He maintained that the December 15 visit to Yenagoa presents an opportunity for the Tinubu administration to demonstrate its commitment to Bayelsa’s economic development through clear decisions on the proposed Agge and Brass Deep Seaports.
Source: TrackNews