Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The six states and the Federal Capital Territory, which comprises the North Central Development Commission, made move to boost economic and infrastructural development with agriculture and mineral resources among its major economic assets.
To achieve this, the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has unveiled a 20-year economic, infrastructure and social development plan aimed at unlocking the region’s potential and strengthening regional integration.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, announced the plan at the North Central Stakeholders Development Summit in Abuja.
President Tinubu urged regional development commissions to focus on projects capable of transforming their respective regions while improving connectivity across the country.
He identified road, rail and air transport, industrialisation, security, investment, human capital development, education and healthcare as key areas requiring attention in the North Central region.
The president said the establishment of the regional development commissions was part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development and address longstanding infrastructure and economic gaps.
He said the government expected the commissions to implement clear, attainable and adequately funded programmes capable of delivering tangible benefits to their regions.
President Tinubu warned against the implementation of “white elephant” projects and cautioned the commissions against becoming channels for wasting public funds.
Commission seeks regional economic integration
The managing director of the NCDC, Cyril Tsenyil, said the commission was not established to replace the six state governments and the Federal Capital Territory, or to duplicate existing federal institutions.
He described the commission as a regional coordination, development and investment-enabling platform responsible for identifying constraints, bringing stakeholders together, mobilising partnerships and monitoring development projects.
Mr Tsenyil said the region needed to move from state-based economic planning towards a coordinated regional economy.
“Investors do not see the boundary between Benue and Nasarawa, or between Kogi and Niger, the way governments do. They see markets, supply chains, corridors, resources and labour pools,” he said.
He said the region’s agricultural sector needed to move beyond the production of raw commodities and support the development of regional processing industries.
Government works on regional policy
The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, and the Minister of State, Uba Maigari, said the ministry was working with the National Economic Council, the six regional development commissions, the National Regional Development Policy Drafting Team and development partners to harmonise the National Regional Development Policy for 2026 to 2030.
They said the policy would be submitted to the Federal Executive Council after the harmonisation process.
Mr Tinubu said the North Central had significant potential in agriculture, food production and agro-processing, solid minerals and industrial development, as well as peace and security.
He urged the commission to help the region realise those opportunities.
The president also warned that the commissions must operate within existing laws, avoid corruption and ensure that marginalisation, politicisation and ethnic considerations did not influence their operations.
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