President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, to ensure the timely release of funds accruable to the Regional Development Commissions.
Tinubu gave the directive on Monday while declaring open the first Stakeholders Development Summit of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
Represented by Akume, the President said the Regional Development Commissions were created under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development and address persistent gaps across the country.
He stressed that the Commissions were not established to replace, duplicate or usurp the functions of existing tiers of government, but to identify and close development gaps for the benefit of citizens.
“Government will continue to give the NCDC and other Regional Development Commissions the political and financial backing to embark on key projects that will unlock the economic and industrial potentials of the nation,” Tinubu said.
“I therefore direct the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to ensure that all funds accruable to the Commissions are released as and when due.”
The President urged the NCDC and other Regional Development Commissions to avoid business-as-usual approaches and develop innovative strategies capable of addressing longstanding developmental challenges.
He described the theme of the summit, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region,” as well conceived.
According to him, the theme reflects the Commission’s determination to operate on the basis of a consensus-driven development plan.
The President also assured the Commissions of the Federal Government’s political and financial support to implement projects capable of unlocking economic and industrial opportunities.
Nasarawa State Governor and Chairman of the North Central Governors Forum, Abdullahi Sule, commended Tinubu for establishing the NCDC, describing it as an opportunity to unlock the region’s development potential.
Sule said the region’s abundant raw materials could be transformed into processed goods, creating greater value and opportunities for its people.
He assured the NCDC of the support and partnership of the North Central governors in developing the region.
The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, disclosed that the Ministry was working on a 30-year National Regional Development Policy.
He said the proposed policy and the NCDC’s 20-year development plan shared a clear connection that could strengthen regional development planning and implementation.
Momoh also called on the National Assembly to appropriate adequate funds to enable the Regional Development Commissions to execute viable projects.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on NCDC, Senator Titus Zam, said the absence of an integrated regional development platform had hindered progress in the past.
He urged the Federal Government to address delays in releasing funds to the Development Commissions to enable them to effectively deliver on their mandates.
The Chairman of the House Committee on NCDC, Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, expressed hope that the summit would produce a clear direction for implementing projects that would improve the lives of citizens across the region.
The NCDC Governing Board Chairman, Cosmas Akighir, said the summit was convened to obtain direct input from stakeholders on the priorities that should drive development in the North Central.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NCDC, Dr Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, said the Commission’s mandate covered transportation, agriculture, security, entrepreneurship, industrialisation, employment, health, education, housing, water, electricity and telecommunications.
He, however, said the mandate alone could not transform the region, stressing that development would require political will, private capital, technical competence, institutional cooperation and community participation.
Tsenyil pledged that the Commission would listen, coordinate, facilitate, partner, mobilise, monitor and remain accountable in implementing its mandate.
In a keynote address, Prof. Iorwuese Hagher said the North Central possessed enormous potential that had yet to be fully converted into opportunities capable of improving the lives of its people.
He urged leaders and citizens of the region to use the NCDC as a platform for progress, unity and cohesion through greater collaboration among the states and other stakeholders.
The summit thereafter moved into technical sessions to deliberate on the priorities, strategies and implementation framework for the proposed 20-year development plan.
