President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday directed the timely release of funds due to the Regional Development Commissions, while warning their boards and managements against corruption, waste and projects that do not have direct benefits for the people.
Tinubu gave the directive while declaring open the first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) in Abuja.
The President, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said the Federal Government would continue to provide political and financial support to the commissions to enable them execute projects capable of unlocking the country’s economic and industrial potential.
He, however, advised the commissions not to rely entirely on government funding, urging them to seek other financing options, including public-private partnerships, donor funding and development financing.
“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.
Tinubu said the establishment of the Regional Development Commissions was part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at accelerating development nationwide and addressing longstanding development gaps.
He stressed that the commissions were not created to replace, duplicate or take over the responsibilities of any level of government.
“Rather, it is our way of looking at why development gaps still exist and trying to close them up for the benefit of our people,” he said.
According to him, the commissions are expected to concentrate on development priorities that can unlock the potential of their respective regions while improving connectivity across the country.
He identified roads, railways, air transportation, industrialisation, security, investment, human-capital development, education and healthcare as areas requiring attention.
The President urged the commissions to formulate programmes that are clear, achievable and properly funded, while warning against the execution of white-elephant 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,” he said.
Tinubu also tasked the Ministry of Regional Development with ensuring that the commissions operate in line with the Regional Development Policy Document, while urging the legislature to provide the required oversight.
He warned the boards and managements against corruption, marginalisation, politicisation and ethnicisation in the conduct of government affairs.
“Such actions will not be tolerated and government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable,” the President said.
Speaking about the North Central region, Tinubu said it has significant potential in agriculture, food production and agro-processing, solid minerals development and processing, industrial development, peace and security.
He said the region had remained below its potential for too long and urged stakeholders to use the summit to establish a new direction for its development.
The President also acknowledged the security challenges facing the North Central, saying the Federal Government had stepped up surveillance and intelligence gathering, created additional formations, deployed more personnel, increased the prosecution of criminals and supported dialogue and reconciliation efforts.
He urged the NCDC to complement government efforts to stabilise the region, stressing that meaningful development requires an environment of peace and security.
Tinubu said the theme of the summit, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region,” was timely and provided an opportunity for stakeholders to agree on a development plan for the region.
He called on participants to critically examine the proposed plan and ensure that it reflects the aspirations of the people while remaining consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The President warned that the summit must not become another platform 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.
Tinubu further encouraged the commissions to pursue alternative sources of funding, including public-private partnerships, donor funding and development financing, where such options are permitted under their establishing laws and relevant government guidelines.
