Southeast Deserves Better: Soludo Challenges Tinubu on Gas, Rail, and Port Projects

 

Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of Anambra State has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address long-standing infrastructural neglect of the Southeast region, highlighting its strategic economic importance and untapped potential. His remarks came during the President’s official visit to Anambra State, where he commissioned several state-led projects.

While appreciating the federal government’s recent interventions in road development across the region, Soludo urged President Tinubu to go further by ensuring inclusion of the Southeast in critical national development schemes — especially the gas master plan, railway expansion, and port modernization.

Addressing the President before a crowd of dignitaries and citizens, Soludo lauded Tinubu’s administration for ongoing federal road projects that promise to improve connectivity in the region. Notable among them are the Enugu-Onitsha dual carriageway, Phase 2b of the access road to the Second Niger Bridge, the rehabilitation of the Onitsha-Owerri Road, and Section II of the Oba-Nnewi Road.

“These investments running into hundreds of billions of Naira are deeply appreciated. When completed, they will be transformative for the people of Anambra and the Southeast,” the Governor noted.

Soludo, a former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, did not mince words as he pivoted to more urgent and overlooked infrastructural gaps that, according to him, have stalled the region’s economic advancement for decades. He described the Southeast as a region ripe with potential, capable of contributing more significantly to Nigeria’s overall economic output if its infrastructure is given the same priority accorded to other zones.

“There are several critical areas that require immediate federal attention,” he said. “Anambra is perhaps the gully erosion capital of the world. With over one-third of our landmass under threat, the scope of intervention needed far exceeds what the state government can manage alone.”

He explained that despite the state already spending tens of billions of naira on erosion control, the level of environmental degradation calls for a robust federal response.

Beyond erosion, Soludo raised concerns about the absence of the Southeast in Nigeria’s national gas infrastructure plans. According to him, despite the region’s proven reserves of natural gas, there is no significant federal investment to integrate it into the broader gas master plan. This exclusion, he argued, undermines both regional development and national energy objectives.

The Governor also lamented the lack of railway connectivity in the region, pointing out that the national rail system currently bypasses the entire Southeast. “Modern rail infrastructure is a foundation for industrial growth and mass transportation. For a region with a high density of commercial and manufacturing activity, this exclusion is inexplicable,” he said.

He made a passionate case for the revitalization of the Onitsha River Port, which was initially commissioned in 1982 by the then-President Shehu Shagari but has remained non-functional due to a lack of federal commitment to dredge the River Niger. According to Soludo, making the port fully operational could be a gamechanger for inland cargo movement, reducing reliance on congested seaports in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

“Only Asiwaju, the man who tamed the Atlantic, can break this 43-year-old jinx. The River Niger must be dredged to allow barge traffic from Onne and other ports to dock directly at Onitsha,” he said, referencing Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos governor and his record on coastal infrastructure.

He also drew attention to an abandoned federal road project linking Anambra to Kogi State. Completion of this route, Soludo explained, would slash travel time between the Southeast and the Federal Capital Territory from nine hours to approximately three — with immense implications for trade and mobility.

“The list of pending federal interventions is long,” he admitted. “But we remain optimistic. We believe your administration has the resolve to act decisively and equitably. The Southeast cannot continue to be treated as an afterthought.”

Soludo’s address was both a commendation of what has been done and a challenge to do more. It struck a balance between optimism and urgency, as he appealed to the President not only as a political leader but as someone with the capacity and history of executing transformative infrastructure projects.

President Tinubu, who was on a working visit to commission ongoing and completed projects, is yet to officially respond to the Governor’s remarks, though aides suggest the message was well-received and may shape future policy discussions on infrastructure equity.

For many in the Southeast, Soludo’s call is a long-overdue public reckoning with the federal government’s development priorities. Whether Tinubu’s administration will rise to the challenge remains to be seen, but the message from Anambra is clear: the Southeast is ready — and it wants in.