President Bola Tinubu has asked George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, to supervise the release of all money allocated for regional commissions.
Tinubu issued the command on Monday during the North Central Development Commission Summit, titled “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic Infrastructure and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.
“Akume, who represented the President at the summit, stated that the establishment of regional development commissions is part of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to speed development throughout 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.
However, the president urged the commissions not to rely primarily on government money, but instead to explore public-private partnerships, donor funds, and development financing for transformative projects.
He stated that the commissions were anticipated to focus on important initiatives in rail, air transportation, industrialization, security, investment, human capital development, education, and healthcare.
Tinubu also warned the commissions’ boards and administration about corruption, marginalization, politicization, and the misuse of government resources.
“Such actions will not be tolerated, and the government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable,” he said.
The president stated that the regional commissions were not formed to supplant or duplicate the functions of state and local governments or existing federal organizations.
He said the North Central Development Commission should support efforts to address the region’s security concerns, emphasizing that development could only occur in a stable environment.
Meanwhile, Nasarawa State Governor and Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum, Abdullahi Sule, stated that the region possesses the human and natural resources required to promote economic development.
Sule stated that the region has proved its capacity in agriculture, mining, and industrial production, emphasizing the importance of transitioning from raw resource extraction to processing and value addition.
“When you are mining in North Central, you must also process in North Central,” the governor said.
He used the opening of a cement factory in Kogi State as an example of how local processing may help Nigeria’s economy.
The governor stated that Nasarawa State, which had over 400 steel licenses when he took office in 2019, had no processing plant despite its natural resources.
He stated that the state has now become home to the nation’s largest and second-largest lithium processing facilities.
“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,” Sule said.
He noted that what the region needed was leadership capable of developing and implementing long-term plans.
“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 thanked the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, saying the policies had increased revenues available to the federal, state, and local governments.
“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.
Earlier, Cyril Tsenyil, Chief Executive Officer of the North Central Development Commission, stated that the commission’s goal was to coordinate regional development and mobilize resources and partnerships, rather than to replace the six state governments and the Federal Capital Territory.
He stated that the commission’s 20-year plan will focus on building regional economic corridors, processing agricultural and mineral resources, improving infrastructure, and generating opportunities for young people.
He stated that the region should strive to become one of Africa’s most competitive agricultural regions, rather than simply being regarded as Nigeria’s agricultural hub.
