Nobody would be worse off for being separated from the North.

This Southern Sudan talk is an aberration that you people keep pushing like it's the general pattern of state breakups. https://twitter.com/MrOdanz/status/1249756530137841670

All you need to do is look at the map and study the people in the SE and their neighbors.

To one side, you have the Middle-Belt and the SS is on the other side.
Trade and Industry would be the focus.

What does a separation from the North cost anyone here?

And a separation means that there would be no Northern-dominated army to force the SS to share oil so everyone else would get to work.

SW would get working.
SS would do same.

Middle-Belt would flourish as a food source and base for agro-allied activity.