By Isaac Ukpoju
Nasarawa, Nigeria – Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has commended the Governing Board and Management of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) for a strong start in laying strategic foundations for the development of the region.
Sule gave the commendation while receiving members of the Governing Board and Management of the commission at the Government House, Lafia, during the commencement of their official tour of the North Central states.
He said he was impressed by the seriousness with which the board and management had approached the assignment entrusted to them.
The governor noted that despite delays in the release of funds, the commission had continued to work diligently to develop its roadmap and engage critical stakeholders across the region.
Sule also appreciated the commission for choosing Nasarawa State as the starting point of its regional tour, describing the gesture as a demonstration of humility, competence and commitment to inclusive engagement.
He lauded the planned North Central Stakeholders Summit scheduled for April, describing it as a strategic platform that would enable states in the region to contribute ideas and take ownership of the commission’s activities.
According to him, the NCDC appears to have drawn lessons from the experiences of older regional development agencies while bringing fresh ideas that will support effective operations.
Sule, who is also the Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum, promised to mobilise his colleagues to support the upcoming summit.
He assured the commission that the request for the governors to present a consolidated document outlining their expectations would be discussed and facilitated.
Earlier, the Chairman of the commission, Barr. Cosmas Akighir, appreciated the governor for his commitment to the growth and success of the NCDC.
Akighir said the commission would continue to rely on Sule’s leadership in rallying other governors in the region to support its mandate.
He requested the allocation of land in Lafia to enable the commission commence plans for the construction of its permanent headquarters complex.
Responding, the governor granted the request and directed the Commissioner for Lands to facilitate the process.
Akighir also appealed to the state government to support the commission with operational vehicles to aid its take-off.
In response, Sule directed the Secretary to the State Government to look into the request and assured that he would escalate the matter to other governors in the region.
In his remarks, Dr Cyril Tsenyil, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, said the visit provided an opportunity to further highlight the governor’s commitment to the success of the commission.
Tsenyil said that the commission had begun engagements with strategic Federal Government agencies, including the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Rural Electrification Agency (REA), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
He added that the commission was also engaging development partners such as GIZ, UN-Habitat, the European Union and SPRiNG to explore areas of collaboration.
According to him, the commission recognises that achieving its mandate cannot depend solely on government funding.
“We are preparing to partner with the private sector in developing projects and programmes around economic development, infrastructure, regional connectivity, human capital development, agriculture, transportation, health services, education, science and technology, mining and mineral development as well as peace and security,” he said.
Tsenyil emphasised that the NCDC was not created to replace or duplicate the programmes of state and local governments but to complement their efforts.
He explained that the regional tour was aimed at enabling the commission to hear directly from state governments on their expectations and how collaboration with the NCDC should be structured.
Highlight of the visit was the presentation of a copy of the NCDC Act to the governor by the commission’s chairman. (NAN)