-Peter OBIORA Nov’ 26 2010

It is a dream come through in addressing the problem of the lingering unemployment problem in Nigeria; especially the South South region of our great nation.

Statistics from the World Factbook shows that unemployment rate in Nigeria as at March 2009 stands at 19.7 percent. Also Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Finance at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) policy dialogue on the Nigerian economy held mid year 2010 quoted data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that unemployment in Nigeria is running at around 19.7 percent on average confirming the statistics made available by the World Factbook.

The Minister further affirmed that 49 percent of the unemployed reside in the urban region; while 39.7 percent in rural region. Some States are more affected than other States and what this means is that there is a massive disconnect between the economic growth achieved in the country in the last five years.

Also statistics released in the review period by the NBS showed that about 10 million people were unemployed in Nigeria as at March 2009.

The NBS reported Bayelsa State as having the highest unemployment rate, followed by Katsina and Akwa Ibom states. While Plateau State had the lowest unemployment rate; followed by Ogun and Benue States.

Take note Bayelsa a South South State recorded the highest number of unemployment rate; while Akwa Ibom another South South State came third on the list made available by Nigeria’s Bureau of Statistics.

The effort to handle the issue of unemployment in the region stems from the proposed laudable and concerted efforts to construct the East West Coastal Road which would link Lagos in the South West and Calabar in the South East regions of Nigeria.

A 704 kilometres highway to begin from Akamkpa (Awi) in Cross River State Nigeria and end at Ibeju Lekki (Eluju) in Lagos State South West Nigeria.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) saddled with the responsibility of developing the region and engendering sustainable peace awarded a Civil and Structural Engineering firm based in Port Harcourt Nigeria to undertake the engineering design and studies for the East-West Coastal Road.

No doubt if an indigenous Engineering firm is contracted to handle the design of this project; and has thus far come up with something meaningful in both in design and studies to show the benefits in the eventual construction of the Road; then we would say kudos to the Nigerian Engineers at this initiative.

The project is to gulp a whooping N1.8 Trillion and the Consulting Engineers according to Chibuzor Ugwoha, Managing Director of the NDDC earlier in September 2010 affirmed that the design for the project is 70 percent completed.

Coming back to the problem of unemployment in the region, prior to this time, youths in the area had engaged in militancy and disrupted the free flow of lives and economic activities. Unemployment would be reduced to its barest level if the East West Coastal Road is constructed.

With a good road network, the Transport sector in the region would make a paradigm shift and become a booming industry; because many transport companies would spring up to serve the numerous transportation and logistics needs of companies and individuals seeking to do or are already doing business in the area.

We understand from reports on traffic studies carried out by Transportation Engineers and as confirmed by Chibuzor Ugwuoha, MD of NDDC; that people can travel from Port Harcourt to Lagos under three hours if the Road is constructed.

Also, with a good network of roads in the area, companies are likely to come in and establish businesses; thereby creating employment for people of the area.

Since the objective of  this regional road is to serve as a strong East-West spine from Calabar towards Lagos, with several north-south ‘ribs’ connecting growth poles, central and northern Nigeria and the purposes of the regional road are to link centres of economic activity with their business connections, raw materials and markets.

Again, the Road would provide fast links between sub-regional roads and growth poles and to concentrate regional traffic on a few routes that would justify a viable rail transport.

Following the above, the problem of unemployment in the South South will be addressed in no small way. For instance, the road linking centres of economic activities with business connections would have created jobs for people; because individuals and companies would seek to open operations in such areas.

Links to raw materials would also create jobs for people of the South South, with the easy access to such raw materials; companies would tend to approach the area where they can reduce the cost of production. In this case, demand will be high therefore; more hands would be required to make available the raw materials thereby creating employment.

With the Road project underway, markets would spring up as companies would tend to supply their goods and services to such areas. This in turn would create employment for the South South region and engage most of their youths in viable ventures such as buying and selling.

The East West Costal Road project as crucial as it maybe and with the fact that it would act as a catalyst in the development of the region and unlocking the vast tourism potentials and opportunities therein.

We cannot underestimate the fact that unlocking the potentials and opportunities in the tourism sector of the region, jobs would be created abundantly for the people; therefore helping to solve the problem of unemployment.

Furthermore, with direct access to waterways which the East West Coastal Road would provide; prior to this time was underutilised; would bring about the establishment and growth of maritime industries such as ocean terminals for deep anchorage, ship repair/maintenance and engineering facilities to handle large ocean going vessels, boat building facilities, passenger cruise terminals, fishing terminals etc. All these will generate employment to the teeming youths of the South South.

The Road is also tipped to help boost economic activities and establishment of export processing zones in the individual coastal States. This also would help in no small measure in tackling the unemployment problem that had for sometime now plagued the South South people of Nigeria.

As part of the project objective aimed at reducing the unemployment problem in the region, the NDDC had created employment and built human capacity as it has decided to train 700 international certified welders.

On the primary objective of enhancing accessibility to the Niger Delta region, the people hitherto were not reached for business would begin to engage in viable ventures; for instance in the area of Tourism. They could build hotels and other resorts that would host Tourist to the region. With the numerous hotels and Resort Centres established, the people of the area would create and offer employment.

Majority of people of the region engage in fishing activities, with the proposed East West Costal Road, and the improvement it will bring in fishing activities in the area, from research, this improvement in fishing activities is expected to rise at least by 27.5 percent. If this is achieved, employment would have been created.

Research shows that if the Road is constructed, trading activities within the region is expected to improve by 24.4 percent. With this improvement and boost in trade in the region, a good number of its youths who before this time had engaged in militancy would have been gainfully employed if they involve in trading activities in the region.

Take for instance the Lekki Free Trade Zone and the opportunities it will offer. The ultimate goal of this project is to create a new model city and a mega industrial, commercial, financial, tourism and recreational hub – a cutting edge centre for international business collaborations. Construction on the first phase of the project is already underway. All these are opportunities to generate mass employment for the unemployed in the South South.

With the access the East West Coastal Road would create in the region, it will be cost effective and easy to enhance the exploitation of the natural resources of the Niger Delta – oil and gas, salt, sand for glass-making, timber etc. All these also would serve as a veritable means of employment generation in the region.

Again, with the East West Coastal Road enhancing the security of the region and nation at large, companies are bound to locate and seek to do businesses in the area; thereby creating employment. Companies would no longer fear for the security of the lives of their employees and properties.

With the proposed Road serving as the shortest route linking Lagos to the coastal areas of Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States and also connects the North-South vertical routes; there will be an atmosphere of peaceful co-existence which would in turn create confidence in the people of the region doing business together; thereby leading to the creation of employment opportunities.

Also, the unique features of the Atlantic Ocean and natural beaches embedded in the region would add tremendous tourism value to the proposed road. This will enhance development in the area and engender employment opportunities.

The Road project is a crucial initiative of the NDDC and it is highly commendable with all its advantages in helping the South South tackle unemployment problem; especially serving as a relief to their cry for marginalisation.

Worthy of note also is the intensive and extensive research of the Consulting Engineering firm saddled with the responsibility of coming up with a unique design for the project. We also hope that the Road will stand the test of time when constructed and could be compared with what is obtainable in the advanced world; places like Dubai in the United Arab Emirate (UAE), Singapore and Washington in the United States (US) to mention but few.

These places especially Dubai and Singapore attract businesses; as so many people seek to visit them to explore their business opportunities. A lot of jobs are created through this means and unemployment reduced to its minimum just as we seek in the South South region of Nigeria with the proposed construction of the East West Coastal Road.

Peter OBIORA contributed this article from Lagos Nigeria. peterobiora@yahoo.com