Youths in Rivers State on Friday 16 May, 2025, held a peaceful procession to commemorate Isaac Boro Day and used the occasion to call for accelerated development in the Niger Delta region.
The procession, organized by youths under the aegis of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Eastern Zone, took off from Aggrey Road, moved through Aba Road, and terminated at the Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt.
In an interview with our correspondent, Matthew Kalio, Secretary of the IYC Okrika Clan, decried the chronic underdevelopment of the oil-rich Niger Delta despite its vast contributions to Nigeria’s economy.
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“Today, May 16, we are holding a peaceful procession in honour of the late Major Isaac Adaka Boro. We are celebrating his selfless service to Nigeria and the liberation of the Ijaw people.
Our call is for renewed focus on the development of the Niger Delta, the region that lays the golden egg. Yet we remain marginalized and neglected,” Kalio said.
Kalio highlighted that despite being the economic backbone of the country through crude oil and gas resources, the region suffers from poor infrastructure, lack of healthcare, inadequate educational facilities, and widespread environmental degradation caused by oil exploration.
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He attributed the stagnation to decades of government neglect, corruption, and the inefficiency of interventionist agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“We produce the wealth of the nation, yet our people drink from polluted rivers and live without electricity. There are no good health centres, no roads. Gas flaring continue unchecked. We want the Niger Delta to become like Dubai or America,” he said.
Kalio emphasized that the Ijaw Youth Council remains a non-violent organization and appealed to the government to heed their longstanding demands.
“We are praying for a better Rivers State, a better Niger Delta. Our agitations have been ignored for too long. The government must act now to develop the region,” he added.
