The Nigerian Society of Engineers, Yenagoa Branch, has said the road and bridge projects being executed by the Niger Delta Development Commission across the region could significantly boost economic activities by opening up rural communities and improving access to markets.
The NSE Chairman, Yenagoa Branch, Eluanatein Mac Jokori, stated this on Thursday while interacting with the 51 For 51: Ogbuku Impact Series team, led by Okaniba Damson, during a review of major NDDC infrastructure projects in the Niger Delta.
Jokori said the impact of the projects should not be measured merely by their financial value or kilometres covered, but by the communities connected and the economic opportunities created by improved transportation.
He particularly cited the Ogbia-Nembe Road, Yenegwe-Ogbia Road rehabilitation, Emeyal-Elebele Road and Otuasega-Obedum-Emelego Road among projects that could transform transportation and commercial activities in Bayelsa State and neighbouring states.
According to him, improved road connectivity would enable farmers, fishermen, traders and other residents to move their goods more easily from production areas to major markets.
He said, “The value of such projects should be measured not only by their length or cost, but by the communities they connect and the economic activities they make possible.”
The engineer noted that road construction in the Niger Delta remained particularly challenging because of the region’s wetlands, creeks, rivers, soft soils and high water tables.
Jokori said the 25.7-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road demonstrated the engineering challenges involved in developing infrastructure in the region, noting that the project included seven bridges and 9.15 kilometres of prefabricated vertical drains to stabilise the swampy terrain.
He said the road had provided a direct land connection between communities in Ogbia and Nembe and improved access to Yenagoa for residents of the Nembe axis.
Jokori also highlighted the approximately 23.5-kilometre Otuasega-Obedum-Emelego Road and bridges linking communities in Bayelsa and Rivers states, saying the corridor, together with the Oruma rigid pavement road in Ogbia Local Government Area, could facilitate the movement of agricultural produce from rural communities to urban centres.
He said similar infrastructure interventions in other Niger Delta states were addressing longstanding transportation difficulties.
In Akwa Ibom State, he cited the approximately 6.87-kilometre Iko-Atabrikang-Opolom-Iwuo Achang Road and the 600-metre Ibeno Bridge, which he said had connected communities previously separated by the Qua Iboe River.
He said the infrastructure could reduce dependence on difficult water crossings and improve access to schools, healthcare facilities, markets and other economic centres.
Jokori also mentioned the nine-kilometre Obehie-Oke-Ikpe Road in Abia State and the 9.4-kilometre Ogu Community Road Network in Rivers State as examples of projects capable of improving regional and community connectivity.
He noted that the Ogu project, commissioned in January 2026, comprised concrete roads and drainage infrastructure.
Beyond connectivity, the NSE chairman stressed that the durability of the projects would determine whether the infrastructure could deliver sustained economic benefits.
He urged the NDDC and other stakeholders to pay attention to foundation treatment, drainage, pavement design and regular maintenance, particularly in flood-prone areas.
“The Niger Delta presents unusual challenges for road construction, with extensive wetlands, creeks, rivers, soft soil and high water tables requiring specialised engineering solutions,” he said.
Jokori added that the use of prefabricated vertical drains on the Ogbia-Nembe Road reflected the need to address weak and compressible swamp soils in the region.
He said, “The ultimate assessment of these projects should be based on their performance after completion. Proper maintenance will be essential to preserving the investments and ensuring that the roads continue to serve the communities for which they were built.”
The NSE chairman maintained that, with the Niger Delta economy driven largely by agriculture, fisheries, oil and gas, commerce and transportation, improved road infrastructure could reduce transportation difficulties and strengthen the movement of people and goods between production centres and markets.
