Senator Benson Agadaga, representing the Bayelsa East Senatorial District, has defended a crucial legislative push to reform the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) Act of 2006. The proposed amendment, which has successfully passed its second reading in the Senate, aims to reverse decades of exclusion by ensuring equitable infrastructure development for long-neglected coastal and border settlements across Nigeria.
The new bill seeks to expand the BCDA framework to incorporate thousands of overlooked communities and correct administrative boundary discrepancies specifically along the Bayelsa-Rivers state border ensuring that federal development funds reach their proper destinations.
In a statement following the bill’s legislative progress, Senator Agadaga emphasized that border communities serve as the nation’s frontline ambassadors.
When people come into Nigeria from neighbouring countries or through our coastal routes, the first Nigerians they encounter are those living in border communities. These communities represent the image of our country and should not be left without basic infrastructure and social amenities.
Senator Benson Agadaga.
Despite the BCDA currently recognizing over 3,000 communities nationwide, vital coastal settlements remain excluded from federal interventions. Senator Agadaga pointed to the strategic importance of the Brass, Nembe, and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas, noting that Bayelsa State hosts one of the nation’s longest coastlines and sits at the heart of Nigeria’s oil and gas wealth.
He argued that it is only fair for the regions driving the national economy to receive an equitable share of federal development resources.
Key Objectives of the Amendment Bill
The proposed legislation prioritizes structural growth and administrative accuracy through several core objectives:
Expanding Federal Inclusivity: Integrating critical, omitted coastal settlements in Bayelsa and other states into the BCDA developmental network.
Correcting Boundary Anomalies: Reassigning communities currently mislisted under the Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State to their correct geographic jurisdictions within Rivers State.
Driving Socio-Economic Development: Shifting the core focus toward long-term civil upgrade projects rather than standard security measures.
While the bill primarily targets economic and social infrastructure, Senator Agadaga noted that the human impact of the bill will naturally foster national security.
By providing neglected citizens with access to clean drinking water, stable electricity, proper schooling, and modern healthcare, the bill intends to transform these frontier regions into highly productive hubs that contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s broader national development and stability.
