President Bola Tinubu has directed the timely release of funds due to Nigeria’s Regional Development Commissions, while warning their boards and managements against corruption, waste and projects that fail to deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
Tinubu gave the directive on Monday while declaring open the first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit, organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) in Abuja.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, the President said the Federal Government would continue to provide political and financial support to the commissions to enable them execute projects capable of unlocking the economic and industrial potential of their respective regions.
He directed the SGF to ensure that funds accruable to the commissions were released as and when due.
“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.”
Despite the commitment to government funding, Tinubu urged the commissions to diversify their sources of financing and explore public-private partnerships, donor funding and development financing where permitted by law.
He said reliance on government funding alone would limit the ability of the commissions to deliver large-scale infrastructure and development projects.
The President said the creation of the commissions was part of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate regional development and close longstanding infrastructure and economic gaps.
He stressed that the commissions were not created to replace or duplicate the responsibilities of federal, state or local governments.
Tinubu said the commissions should concentrate on projects capable of unlocking the economic potential of their regions and improving national connectivity.
He identified roads, rail, air transportation, industrialisation, security, investment, human capital development, education and healthcare as key areas requiring attention.
For the North Central, he highlighted opportunities in agriculture, food production and agro-processing, solid minerals development and processing, industrialisation, peace and security.
According to him, the region has operated below its potential for too long and must use the summit to develop a new economic and development trajectory.
The President warned the commissions against embarking on projects that are expensive but offer little economic or social value.
He directed them to develop programmes that are clear, attainable, properly prioritised and financially sustainable.
“The era of white elephant projects is over and there is no excuse for the Commissions to become another conduit for wasting public funds.”
Tinubu also warned against corruption, marginalisation, politicisation and ethnicisation in the operations of the commissions, stressing that officials found culpable would face sanctions.
The President linked development in the North Central to improvements in security, noting that investors and businesses require a stable environment to operate.
He said the Federal Government had intensified surveillance and intelligence gathering, established additional security formations, deployed more personnel and increased the prosecution of criminals, while also supporting dialogue and reconciliation.
Tinubu urged the NCDC to complement these efforts, stressing that sustainable economic development could only take place in an atmosphere of peace and security.
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The summit, themed “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region,” is expected to provide a framework for the region’s long-term development.
Tinubu urged stakeholders to critically examine the proposed plan and ensure that it reflected the aspirations of residents while aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He also warned against producing another development document that would remain unimplemented.
The President directed the Ministry of Regional Development to ensure that the commissions operated within the Regional Development Policy Document, while the National Assembly provides the necessary oversight.
