Keypoints:
- Chronic decline linked to ethnic rivalries
- Capital flight erodes jobs, investment and hope
- Urgent call for unity to revive city
ONCE the pride of Wafarians, Warri now wears the rust of neglect. The city’s vibrancy has faded into poverty, its people trapped in decades of decline.
A city in distress
On my recent visit, I toured Deco Road, Okumagba Avenue, Okere Road, McCiver, Odion Road, Market Road, Cemetery Road, Iyara, McDermott Road, Warri-Sapele Road, Upper and Lower Erejuwa, Ajamogha, Esisi and Warri Port. It was my longest stay since relocating to Lagos in 1984 — over two months — and what I saw was a distressed, dying city with shattered dreams and shrinking opportunities caused by capital flight and economic decay.
Everywhere, spaces in front of buildings had been converted into small shops for petty trading and POS businesses, making whole streets look like mini-markets. The proliferation of keke tricycles added to noise pollution. Even Warri’s only cemetery is hemmed in by traders and mechanics, leaving just a narrow gate for entry.
From global hub to rural shell
Warri was once a vibrant cosmopolitan hub, attracting global investors and hosting major events. Today, it resembles a rural enclave with dilapidated structures. The question is: what went wrong, and who caused the decline?
One root cause lies in ethnic rivalry between Itsekiris, Urhobos and Ijaws. Itsekiri leaders, led by the late Olu of Warri, Atuwatse II, opposed making Warri the capital of Delta State. This miscalculation, aimed at protecting ethnic interests, backfired. Former military president Ibrahim Babangida compounded matters by siting the capital in Asaba, his wife’s hometown.
Had these divisions been bridged, Warri could have enjoyed the infrastructural advantages of a modern capital, drawing foreign investors and transforming the city.
Ownership disputes and lasting divisions
The prolonged tussle over ownership of Warri township between Urhobos, Itsekiris and Ijaws has bred animosity for decades. The original instigators of this rivalry are long gone, but the conflict endures, passing bitterness to new generations.
Ownership claims are ultimately futile — no group can realistically dislodge another from long-held areas. Leaders must abandon pride and ego, fostering unity for shared peace and prosperity.
Violence and youth exploitation
Some leaders fuel conflict by inciting young people to take up arms over land disputes. Typically, it is the children of the poor who are drawn into violence, while the wealthy shield their families far from the unrest.
The Ijaw-Itsekiri conflict of 1997–1999 offers a painful lesson: it brought no benefit, only loss. It drove out companies such as Shell, Halliburton, Schlumberger and UAC, leaving Warri with an unemployment rate of about 80 percent.
Economic sabotage and business flight
‘Development fees’ demanded before projects can begin — along with forced job and contract allocations — deter investors. Companies and small enterprises alike are discouraged from operating in such a climate, worsening joblessness.
The non-operational Warri Port has also starved the economy. Once servicing businesses in Effurun, Udu, Benin, Onitsha and beyond, its absence is compounded by the collapse of Delta Steel Company and the Warri Refinery.
A way forward
Warri’s ethnic groups must redirect their energies towards peace and unity to restore investor confidence. Leveraging shared cultural heritage — including festivals like Agbassa Juju (Idju Owhurie Festival) and Okere Juju (Awankere Festival) — could help reposition the city as a tourism destination and economic hub.
Dr Mike Owhoko is a Lagos-based public policy analyst, author and journalist. He can be reached at www.mikeowhoko.com and followed on X (formerly Twitter) @michaelowhoko.
