Solving the Niger Delta Crisis

1. Create more states in Niger Delta to bring development closer to the peope. Agitations for more states in the Eastern Niger Delta has been well known for a long time. Cross River State is more than big enough to be three states with the northern part being Ogaja State, the Southern part being Calabar State and the central part being Cross River State. In the present Akwa Ibom State, the Annang area should be a state which they have been championing for as Atai State. New states in the Western Niger Delta should be as demanded by the area.
2. Recognize Eastern Niger Delta and Western Niger Delta as separate region for developmental purposes.
3. Develop Calabar and equip with brach offices of Federal Ministries and foreign consulate offices
4. Develop Port Harcourt and equip with brach offices of Federal Ministries and foreign consulate offices. Caution: See solution #5 below. News reports on crisis in Western Niger Delta seem to show that the natives of the area such as the Ijaws do not feel like they control Port Harcourt.
5. Develop at least one new city in each of the Niger Delta States
6. Help the new states and the regional centers with infrastructure development.
7. The leaders of Niger Delta States need to realize that they have very limited time to develop their state as they will be out of oil very soon and the area may become the poorest in all of Africa if care is not taken. Oil has been produced from the area for decades. Unfortunately, this resources will soon be depleted and that is why resource control is not a part of this suggested solution.