President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to ensure the prompt release of funds approved for Nigeria’s regional development commissions.
Tinubu issued the directive on Monday at the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) Summit, organised under the theme, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic Infrastructure and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.”
Representing the President at the summit, Akume said the creation of regional development commissions was a major component of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to promote balanced and accelerated development across the country.
According to him, the Federal Government would continue to provide the commissions with the political backing and financial support required to execute projects that could unlock Nigeria’s economic and industrial potential.
The President said, “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, however, cautioned the commissions against relying solely on government allocations, urging them to explore public-private partnerships, donor funding and development finance to deliver large-scale projects.
He identified rail and air transportation, industrialisation, security, investment promotion, education, healthcare and human capital development as key areas that should receive priority attention.
The President also warned the boards and management of the commissions against corruption, politicisation, marginalisation and the diversion or abuse of public resources.
He said anyone found culpable would face sanctions.
“Such actions will not be tolerated, and government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable,” he warned.
Tinubu further clarified that the regional development commissions were created to complement the efforts of state and local governments as well as existing Federal Government agencies, rather than assume or duplicate their functions.
He also tasked the NCDC with supporting ongoing efforts to address insecurity in the North Central, stressing that sustainable economic and social development could only take place in an environment of peace and stability.
Speaking at the summit, Nasarawa State Governor and Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum, Abdullahi Sule, said the region had sufficient human and natural resources to emerge as a major contributor to Nigeria’s economic growth.
Sule highlighted agriculture, mining and industrial production as sectors in which the region had significant advantages. He, however, called for a shift from the export and movement of raw materials to local processing and value addition.
“When you are mining in North Central, you must also process in North Central,” he said.
The governor cited the cement industry in Kogi State as an example of how processing raw materials locally could generate employment, encourage industrialisation and retain economic value within the region.
Sule also recalled that Nasarawa State had over 400 steel mining licences when he assumed office in 2019 but did not have a functional processing plant capable of turning its mineral resources into finished or semi-finished products.
He said the situation had since improved, noting that the state now hosts Nigeria’s largest and second-largest lithium processing plants.
Sule described the North Central as a region endowed with resources across several sectors, including cement production, rice and sesame cultivation.
“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 said.
According to him, the region’s major requirement is visionary leadership capable of developing and implementing sustainable development strategies.
“What do we need more? We need thinkers. We need implementers. We need people who understand what it means to lead,” the governor said.
Sule also expressed support for the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration, arguing that the policies had increased the revenue available to the three tiers of government.
He said the improved revenue situation had enabled state governments to meet their salary obligations without resorting to bank borrowing.
“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,” Sule said.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the NCDC, Cyril Tsenyil, explained that the commission was established to coordinate development initiatives, mobilise resources and foster strategic partnerships across the region.
Tsenyil stressed that the commission was not intended to take over the responsibilities of the six states in the North Central and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the commission’s proposed 20-year development plan would focus on developing regional economic corridors, processing agricultural and mineral resources, expanding infrastructure and creating sustainable economic opportunities for young people.
The NCDC chief executive said the broader objective was to transform the North Central into one of Africa’s most competitive agricultural and industrial regions, rather than defining it solely as Nigeria’s agricultural hub.
The summit is expected to bring together key stakeholders to develop a coordinated long-term framework for infrastructure development, industrialisation, human capital development and economic transformation across the North Central region.
