Mr. Iniruo Wills,an environmentalist and development expert has called for urgent action to retool leadership and reboot governance by setting a clear developmental trajectory for the state which clocks 30 on October 1.
In an agenda setting paper availed to newsmen on Teusday, Wills said the milestone comes at a time when global instability, climate change, supply chain disruptions, and national security challenges are placing unprecedented pressure on not only national governments but on subnational entities as well.
He described the moment as a “fresh but fierce urgency about solid governance and development” that Bayelsa must harness to secure its future.
Reflecting on Bayelsa’s creation on October 1, 1996, under General Sani Abacha, Wills recalled the excitement and patriotism that welcomed the first Governor, Navy Captain Phillip Ayeni, noting that citizens, especially from Port Harcourt, volunteered time, money, and materials to ensure the fledgling administration functioned.
He added that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s rise remains “perhaps the sharpest symbol of the most poignant dividends of the state’s creation: identity, political recognition, and a certain sense of endearment from fellow countrymen.”
Wills also described as epochal the upcoming unveiling of an epic book on the origin of Bayelsa, authored by one of the state’s first two cabinet commissioners, Engr Numoipre Wills, scheduled for March 21, with former president Goodluck Jonathan set to chair the event.
According to him,milestones achieved with delight that several projects and initiatives have brought progress to the state.
Among them, the long-promised three senatorial roads, including the Ekeremor Road, which are “finally taking form,” while the Senator Douye Diri administration is working hard to install a 60-megawatt gas turbine.
He said he was also impressed with the expansion of higher education, with five universities now operating, including a medical university converted from an abandoned hospital project and the University of Africa while the construction of a new civil service secretariat is also underway.
On security and regional stability, Wills credited Bayelsa leaders, including former Governor Timipre Sylva and Timi Alaibe, former MD of NDDC, for brokering an armistice that led to the Amnesty Programme for the Niger Delta.
He added that the state continues to host institutions designed to build Nigerian content in the petroleum industry, a process catalyzed in part by Goodluck Jonathan during his tenure as Vice President and President.
He also listed governance, strategy, and the blue economy as areas of progress.
Wills however remarked: “Governor Diri and his Deputy, Peter Akpe, face the urgent task of building resilience and prosperity amid global and national challenges.”
He recommended the development of a Bayelsa 2026–2056 Masterplan to guide socioeconomic growth over the next 30 years, emphasizing clarity of vision, bold ambition, executive will, and fiscal discipline.
Wills also highlighted the Blue Economy as a key opportunity, calling for a comprehensive water resources management plan to address flood and erosion risks and unlock maritime economic potential.
He explained that restoration of Epie Creek and optimized foreshore use should form part of a PPP-driven upgrade of the state capital.
On Partners and Possibilities,
Wills identified development partners that could support the state’s vision, including planning institutions, Bayelsa professionals abroad, AfDB, AFC, Afreximbank, sector-specific funds such as the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, NIMASA’s cabotage finance facility, and the new African Energy Bank.
He also noted that Bayelsa people in capital market regulation and leading industrialists like Dangote and Elumelu could be key allies.
He urged the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), led by Bayelsa born Dr. Sam Ogbuku, to prioritize the completion of a regional development masterplan, reiterating however that Bayelsa should press on with a state Masterplan regardless of NDDC’s state of readiness on the regional plan.
On environmental matters, Wills highlighted the need for implementation of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC) Report.
He suggested appointing a Special Counsel on Environmental and Climate Justice to coordinate remediation and position Bayelsa as a hub for climate action.
Wills called for the repositioning and recapitalization of the Bayelsa Development and Investment Corporation (BDIC) to drive industrialization and create functional commercial layouts, calling for holistic reforms in public service, including professionalization, retooling, and living wages, as well as urbanization of all local government headquarters, vocational schools, and industrial clusters.
He proposed that Bayelsa promote the establishment of centres of educational and cultural excellence, such as an Ernest Ikoli Foundation, Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Library, Diete-Spiff Centre for Development Studies, and an Admiral Soroh Marine College, among others, to build human capacity and also celebrate the state’s heroes and heritage.
Wills said:
“History now beckons. Bayelsa State is Governor Diri’s oyster. On October 1, 2026, the state can mark 30 years with visible structural transformation, and the drums should jolly well roll. The coming 30 weeks must be seized with bold vision to set the state as a reference point and pride for its people.”
