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President Bola Tinubu has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to ensure that all funds accruable to the Regional Development Commissions are released as and when due, promising continued federal backing for projects that can unlock regional economic potential.
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The President, while approving stronger financial support for the commissions, warned that they must not become conduits for corruption, waste, politicisation or ethnic marginalisation, threatening sanctions against boards and officials found abusing public resources.
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Tinubu charged the commissions to prioritise major infrastructure and economic projects covering roads, rail, air transportation, industrialisation, security, investment, education, healthcare and human capital development, while attracting private, donor and development-finance funding.
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North Central leaders said the region had the agricultural, mineral and industrial resources to become a major economic powerhouse, but stressed the need for local processing, value addition, effective leadership and implementation of the region’s proposed 20-year development plan.
September 14, (THEWILL) – President Bola Tinubu has ordered the timely release of funds due to the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) and other Regional Development Commissions, warning their boards and managements that corruption, waste and politically driven projects will attract sanctions.
Tinubu issued the directive on Monday while declaring open the first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit organised by the NCDC in Abuja.
The summit, themed “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region”, was convened to develop a long-term framework for transforming the region’s infrastructure, economy and social sectors.
Representing the President at the summit, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, conveyed the directive, saying the Federal Government would continue to provide the commissions with the political and financial backing required to execute projects capable of unlocking Nigeria’s economic and industrial potential.
“The 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. 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”, Tinubu said.
The President said the establishment of the Regional Development Commissions was part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development, address longstanding regional disparities and create stronger economic linkages across the country.
He, however, made it clear that the commissions were not created to take over the responsibilities of state or local governments or duplicate the functions of existing federal institutions.
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“Rather, it is our way of looking at why development gaps still exist and trying to close them up for the benefit of our people,” Tinubu said.
According to him, the commissions must concentrate on strategic interventions that complement existing government structures and unlock the economic potential of their respective regions.
No Conduit For Waste
While directing the release of funds, Tinubu warned that increased government financing must translate into measurable development and must not become an avenue for draining public resources.
Tinubu charged the commissions to develop programmes that are clear, attainable and properly funded, while avoiding projects that have little or no economic or social value.
“The era of white elephant projects is over and there is no excuse for the Commissions to become another conduit for wasting public funds”, the President said.
He also warned the boards and managements against corruption, marginalisation, politicisation and ethnicisation of government operations.
“Such actions will not be tolerated and the government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable”, he noted.
Tinubu further directed the Ministry of Regional Development to ensure that the commissions operate within the Regional Development Policy Document, while the legislature provides the necessary oversight.
Tinubu said the commissions must also be judged by the impact of their projects on ordinary Nigerians rather than by the volume of contracts awarded or funds expended.
Despite directing the release of government funds, Tinubu warned the commissions against relying exclusively on public allocations. He urged them to aggressively explore public-private partnerships, donor funding and development financing for major projects, subject to their enabling laws and government guidelines.
According to the President, such partnerships would help the commissions mobilise the scale of capital required for transformational infrastructure and economic projects without placing the entire financial burden on the government.
Tinubu identified roads, rail transportation, air connectivity, industrialisation, security, investment, education, healthcare and human capital development as priority areas. He urged the commissions to focus on projects that would strengthen regional connectivity, stimulate investment, create jobs and improve the quality of life of citizens.
The President also warned against allowing the summit to become another platform where lofty ideas are discussed, reports produced and subsequently abandoned.
“This Summit should not end up as one of those platforms where ideas are ventilated and reports generated only to be left dusting on the shelves. The NCDC should show a better example by following through to implementation”, he said.
The President identified insecurity as one of the major challenges confronting the North Central, stressing that meaningful economic development could not take place without peace and stability.
He said the Federal Government had intensified surveillance and intelligence gathering, established additional security formations, deployed more personnel, strengthened the prosecution of criminals and supported dialogue and reconciliation initiatives.
Tinubu charged the NCDC to complement these efforts by supporting interventions capable of stabilising communities and creating an environment conducive to investment and economic activity.
He said the North Central had remained below its potential for too long despite its strategic advantages in agriculture, food production, agro-processing, solid minerals and industrial development.
The President, therefore, urged stakeholders to use the summit to chart a new development trajectory for the region. He also asked participants to scrutinise the proposed 20-year development plan and ensure that it genuinely reflected the aspirations of the people while remaining consistent with the broader objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Sule: Process North Central Resources Here
Nasarawa State Governor and Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum, Abdullahi Sule, said the region possessed the human and natural resources required to become a major driver of Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Sule said North Central had demonstrated considerable capacity in agriculture, mining and industrial production but needed to move decisively from the export or transportation of raw materials to local processing and value addition.
“When you are mining in North Central, you must also process in North Central”, the governor said.
He cited the establishment of a cement factory in Kogi State as an example of how processing raw materials locally could create jobs, strengthen industries and retain more economic value within the region.
Sule said Nasarawa State had more than 400 steel licences when he assumed office in 2019 but had no processing plant despite its mineral wealth.
According to him, the situation has changed, with the state now hosting the country’s largest and second-largest lithium processing plants.
He also highlighted the region’s strength in cement, rice and sesame production.
“The North Central is the home of Benue cement. The North Central is the home of rice production. The North Central is the home of sesame production. So we have it all. Whatever it is that we are looking for, we have it”, he added.
The governor, however, said the availability of resources alone would not guarantee development, stressing that the region needed leaders with the capacity to formulate and execute long-term development strategies.
“What do we need more? We need thinkers. We need implementers. We need people who understand what it means to lead”, he said.
Sule also commended the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, arguing that they had increased revenues available to the three tiers of government. He said the increased revenue had strengthened the ability of states and local governments to meet their financial obligations.
“Today, we are paying salaries without borrowing money from the bank. Even if you hate him, you cannot hate his policies. Even if you disagree with him, you cannot disagree with his policies. And that is the only way we can build”, he said.
NCDC Unveils 20-Year Vision
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the NCDC, Cyril Tsenyil, said the commission was established to coordinate regional development, mobilise resources and build partnerships rather than replace the six state governments and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the commission’s proposed 20-year plan would focus on the development of regional economic corridors, infrastructure, agricultural and mineral processing, industrialisation and opportunities for young people.
Tsenyil said the North Central should aspire to become one of Africa’s most competitive agricultural regions instead of being defined merely as Nigeria’s agricultural hub.
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