TINUBU DIRECTS RELEASE OF FUNDS TO REGIONAL COMMISSIONS
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By;Tajudeen Aminat
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to ensure the timely release of all funds approved for the country’s regional development commissions.
Tinubu gave the directive on Monday at the North Central Development Commission Summit, themed, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic Infrastructure and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.”
Represented by Akume, the President said the establishment of the regional development commissions was part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development across the country.
He said the Federal Government would continue to provide the commissions with the necessary political and financial support to undertake projects capable of unlocking the nation’s economic and industrial potential.
“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 said.
The President, however, urged the commissions to diversify their funding sources by exploring public-private partnerships, donor support and development financing to execute transformative projects.
He said the commissions should prioritise critical areas including rail transportation, aviation, industrialisation, security, investment, human capital development, education and healthcare.
Tinubu also warned the boards and management of the commissions against corruption, marginalisation, politicisation and the misuse of public resources.
He stressed that such practices would not be tolerated, adding that the government would sanction anyone found culpable.
The President further clarified that the regional development commissions were not created to replace or duplicate the responsibilities of state and local governments or existing Federal Government institutions.
He tasked the North Central Development Commission with supporting efforts to tackle insecurity in the region, noting that meaningful development could only thrive in a stable environment.
Speaking at the summit, Nasarawa State Governor and Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum, Abdullahi Sule, said the region possessed the human and natural resources required to drive sustainable economic growth.
Sule highlighted the region’s potential in agriculture, mining and industrial production, while calling for a shift from the export of raw materials to local processing and value addition.
“When you are mining in North Central, you must also process in North Central,” the governor said.
He cited the establishment of a cement factory in Kogi State as an example of how local processing could contribute to economic transformation.
Sule also noted that Nasarawa State, despite having more than 400 steel licences when he assumed office in 2019, had no mineral processing plant at the time. He said the state had since attracted the country’s largest and second-largest lithium processing plants.
“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.
The governor stressed the need for visionary leadership, strategic planning and effective implementation to unlock the region’s potential.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the North Central Development Commission, Cyril Tsenyil, said the commission was established to coordinate regional development and mobilise resources and partnerships, rather than take over the responsibilities of the six states in the region and the Federal Capital Territory.
Tsenyil said the commission’s 20-year development plan would focus on economic corridors, agricultural and mineral processing, infrastructure development and creating opportunities for young people.
He added that the region should aspire to become one of Africa’s most competitive agricultural economies rather than being known merely as Nigeria’s agricultural hub.
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