A senior aide to the President Gift Johnbull, who serves as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-South) has urged the South-South region of Nigeria to reduce its over-reliance on oil and gas by embracing a diversified and innovation-driven economy.
Addressing attendees at the second edition of the “Road to South-South” forum held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the aide said the initiative aims to convert government policy into tangible community-level impacts across the region’s six states.
Key areas identified for economic expansion include agribusiness, renewable energy, education, technology transfer, and value-added processing, sectors viewed as capable of generating employment, reducing environmental degradation, and fostering sustainable growth.
Supporters of the initiative argue the shift is essential: despite powering Nigeria’s economy through oil production for decades, the South-South remains plagued by environmental damage, underdevelopment, and cycles of social unrest.
The forum’s call echoes long-standing demands for structural economic reform, accountability, and equitable development moving beyond extractive dependency toward a more resilient, inclusive regional economy.
