SSDC Takes Grassroots Development Drive To Yala, Residents Demand Action On Infrastructure, Jobs
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The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to designing development initiatives around the needs of local communities, saying meaningful progress in the region must be driven by the people rather than dictated from government offices.
The assurance came during a stakeholders’ engagement in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State, where the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Usoro Akpabio, led a delegation to consult with residents as part of the Commission’s regional development planning.
The meeting brought together government officials, traditional rulers, youth and women groups, community leaders and other stakeholders, providing a platform for residents to highlight the socio-economic challenges confronting the area and propose priority interventions.
For many participants, the consultation represented an opportunity to present longstanding concerns over inadequate infrastructure and decades of underdevelopment.
Community leaders identified poor road networks, erratic electricity supply, lack of potable water, inadequate healthcare facilities, weak educational infrastructure and rising youth unemployment as some of the major obstacles to economic growth in the local government.
They noted that despite Yala’s enormous agricultural potential, poor infrastructure continues to hinder productivity, limit access to markets and discourage private investment.
According to stakeholders, farmers and traders face significant difficulties transporting agricultural produce because of deteriorating road conditions, while unreliable electricity has constrained business expansion and value-added processing.
“Our people have waited for too long,” one stakeholder said during the engagement.
“Every year we hear promises, but what we need now is action that will touch lives directly.”
Another participant urged the Commission to prioritise road rehabilitation and improved electricity supply, arguing that both sectors hold the key to unlocking the area’s economic potential.
“If you fix our roads and power, you have already solved more than half of our problems because Yala is ready to produce and trade,” the stakeholder added.
The SSDC explained that the consultation forms part of its strategy to ensure that development projects across the South-South are informed by the actual needs of host communities instead of assumptions made at policy level.
According to the Commission, the approach marks a shift from conventional top-down planning to a participatory development model in which communities play a central role in identifying priorities and shaping interventions.
Speaking during the meeting, the Cross River State Commissioner for Education, Stephen Odey, described the Commission’s visit as a positive step towards addressing the developmental needs of grassroots communities.
He urged the SSDC to prioritise investments in transportation infrastructure, electricity, healthcare, education and youth empowerment, saying such interventions would significantly improve economic opportunities in Yala.
“Targeted investments in these critical areas will change the story of Yala and unlock its full economic potential,” Odey said.
“Our people are not asking for too much, only for fair development and inclusion.” He added that residents were prepared to support programmes capable of delivering tangible improvements to livelihoods and economic activities.
“The people of Yala are ready and willing to support any genuine intervention that delivers measurable impact and improves livelihoods,” he stated.
Responding, Akpabio assured stakeholders that the consultation was more than a ceremonial visit, describing it as the foundation of a long-term partnership between the Commission and communities across the South-South.
She stressed that sustainable development can only be achieved when citizens are actively involved in planning and implementation.
“We are here to work with you, not above you,” Akpabio said. “Development must be co-owned by the people it is meant to serve.”
She assured participants that the concerns and recommendations raised during the consultation would be documented and incorporated into the Commission’s regional development framework.
“Every input from this engagement matters,” she said.
“It will guide how we prioritise and deliver interventions across the South-South.”
Akpabio also disclosed that the Commission is strengthening partnerships with relevant institutions to improve electricity supply, healthcare delivery, educational infrastructure and other critical public services across the region.
According to her, the collaborations are intended to ensure that development projects are not only executed but also sustained over the long term.
