President Bola Tinubu has pledged adequate funding for Regional Development Commissions to enable them address developmental gaps and promote balanced growth and prosperity across the country.
Tinubu made the pledge on Monday while declaring open the two-day Stakeholders Development Summit organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, the President said that the establishment of Regional Development Commissions was part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the commissions were established to accelerate development by identifying persistent gaps and working toward closing them, rather than replacing, duplicating or usurping the functions of any tier of government.
Tinubu cautioned the NCDC and other Regional Development Commissions against conducting their activities as “business as usual” or replicating approaches that had failed to adequately address 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 be guided by a consensus-driven policy document in its development interventions.
He assured the commissions of the Federal Government’s political and financial support, directing the SGF to ensure timely release of funds accruable to them.
“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,” he said.
Nasarawa State Governor and Chairman of the North Central Governors Forum, Gov. Abdullahi Sule, commended Tinubu for establishing the NCDC, describing it as an opportunity to unlock the region’s development potential.
Sule said the commission could help transform the region’s abundant raw materials into processed goods that would create greater value and opportunities for its people.
He assured that governors in the region were willing to support and partner with the NCDC in developing the North Central for the benefit of its people.
The Chairman of the occasion, retired AVM Mohammed Ndatsu-Umaru, urged the commission to identify key projects capable of having significant impact on the overall development of the region.
Ndatsu-Umaru said development interventions should address identified problems and promote inter-state connectivity, urging the NCDC to establish systems capable of delivering sustainable development across the region.
He also called for greater synergy among stakeholders in implementing the proposed 20-year development plan, stressing that the document should serve as a practical working instrument rather than remain on the shelf.
The Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, disclosed that the ministry was working on a National Regional Development Policy covering a 30-year period.
Momoh said there was a clear nexus between the NCDC’s 20-year “Great Leap Forward” development plan and the proposed national policy, adding that the synergy would strengthen regional development planning and implementation.
He appealed to the National Assembly to appropriate adequate funds to enable the Regional Development Commissions execute viable development projects.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said the NCDC had a critical role to play in transforming the North Central through industrialisation, value addition, job creation and improved quality of life.
Sen. Titus Zam, Chairman of the Senate Committee on NCDC, said the absence of an integrated regional development platform had impeded progress in the past.
Zam stressed the need to urgently address delays in the release of funds to development commissions to enable them commence effective implementation of their mandates.
The Chairman of the NCDC Governing Board, Barr. Cosmas Akighir, said the summit was convened to obtain stakeholders’ inputs in determining priorities that would drive meaningful development across the region.
The Managing Director of NCDC, Dr Cyril Tsenyil, said the commission’s mandate covered transportation, agriculture, security, entrepreneurship, industrialisation, employment, health, education, housing, water, electricity and telecommunications.
Tsenyil, however, said the mandate alone could not transform the region, stressing that transformation required vision, political will, private capital, technical competence, institutional cooperation, community participation and the discipline to think and act regionally.
He said the commission would listen, coordinate, facilitate, partner, mobilise, monitor and remain accountable, adding that while not every problem could be solved overnight, every identified opportunity would receive serious attention.
In a keynote address, Prof. Iorwuese Hagher said the North Central was endowed with enormous potentials that had largely not been converted into opportunities capable of improving the lives of its people.
Hagher urged the people and leaders of the region to utilise the NCDC as a vehicle for progress, unity and cohesion by strengthening collaboration among states and other stakeholders.
The summit subsequently proceeded into technical sessions where stakeholders commenced discussions on priorities, strategies and the implementation framework for the proposed 20-year development plan for the North Central region. (NAN)
