By Emma Peter, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the timely release of funds due to Nigeria’s Regional Development Commissions and warned their boards and managements against corruption, waste and the execution of projects that do not directly benefit the people.
Tinubu gave the directive on Monday in Abuja while declaring open the maiden North Central Stakeholders Development Summit organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
The President, who was represented at the summit by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, CON, said the Federal Government would continue to provide the commissions with the political and financial backing required to implement projects capable of unlocking the economic and industrial potential of the country.
“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.
While pledging federal support, Tinubu urged the commissions to diversify their sources of funding rather than depend solely on government allocations. He identified public-private partnerships, donor funding and development financing as possible avenues, subject to relevant laws and government guidelines.
The President explained that the establishment of the Regional Development Commissions was part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development and address longstanding development gaps across the country.
He stressed that the commissions were not created to replace, duplicate or usurp the responsibilities of any tier of government, but to complement existing efforts by addressing critical gaps and driving strategic development within their respective regions.
According to him, the commissions should focus on priorities capable of unlocking regional economic potential while improving connectivity across the country.
He identified roads, rail transportation, air connectivity, industrialisation, security, investment, human capital development, education and healthcare among the key areas requiring attention.
Tinubu charged the commissions to develop programmes that are clear, attainable, properly prioritised and adequately funded, warning against the pursuit of unviable and wasteful projects.
“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 warned.
He further directed the Ministry of Regional Development to ensure that the commissions operate in line with the Regional Development Policy Document, while urging the legislature to provide effective oversight.
The President also warned the boards and managements against corruption, marginalisation, politicisation and ethnicisation of government operations.
“Such actions will not be tolerated and government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable,” he said.
Speaking specifically on the North Central region, Tinubu said the area had enormous potential in agriculture, food production and agro-processing, solid minerals development and processing, industrialisation, investment, peace and security.
He observed that the region had operated below its potential for too long and urged stakeholders to use the summit to chart a new development trajectory capable of transforming the fortunes of the region.
The President also acknowledged the security challenges confronting the North Central, saying the Federal Government had intensified surveillance and intelligence gathering, established additional formations, deployed more personnel, increased the prosecution of criminals and supported dialogue and reconciliation.
He urged the NCDC to complement these efforts by supporting initiatives that would promote peace and stability, stressing that sustainable development could only thrive in an atmosphere of security.
Tinubu 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 appropriate, saying it provided an opportunity for stakeholders to develop a consensus-driven roadmap for the region.
He urged participants to critically examine the proposed development plan to ensure that it reflects the aspirations of the people and remains aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The President, however, cautioned against allowing the summit to become another forum where ideas are discussed and reports produced without implementation.
“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.
He reiterated his call for the commissions to explore alternative funding sources, including partnerships with the private sector, donor institutions and development financiers, where permitted by their establishing laws and applicable government regulations.
