ABUJA – The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, has called on the regional development commissions to ensure efficient service delivery across communities for effective regional development.
Momoh gave the advice in a statement by the Head, Information and Public Relations of the Ministry, Sani Dat, in Abuja on Wednesday.
The minister stated this at a two-day workshop on the review of policy roadmap, organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
He urged the commissions to partner with state governments, the private sector, development partners and communities for efficient service delivery.
“Mr President has always emphasised that development must not be concentrated only in urban areas; it must spread to every region, every state, and every community.
“The development commissions were set up to serve as vehicles to drive these developments,” he added.
According to him, the Federal Government is determined to harness the strength of the regions, their unique resources, people, and opportunities to drive and balance national growth.
“For the North Central region, this is a moment of renewal. This region is blessed with vast agricultural potential, solid minerals, and resilient people, which hold the key to food security for the entire country, not just Nasarawa State,” the minister said.
Momoh also commended the North Central Commission for its foresight in developing a roadmap on how the Commission’s resources would be utilised in the region.
He equally urged them to follow it up to achieve the desired results and assured them of the ministry’s support.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Ahmadu, advised the participants to work together with state governments, communities, businesses, and donor partners, urging them to be accountable and update the public on their activities regularly.
He added that the ministry, alongside the National Assembly, would follow up on all funds appropriated to the Commission to ensure it stays on track not to micromanage the Commission, but to help it remain focused.
“Together, we will deliver on the responsibilities assigned to us by Mr President, and in the end, the North Central region and Nigeria will be a better nation we can all be proud of,” he added.
On her part, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Mary Ogbe, highlighted five key anchors and urged the commission to focus on policy coherence and prioritisation; evidence and performance management with integrated data.
“Local content and community ownership; partnership and financing; and sustainability, resilience, and maintenance of culture,” she said.
She therefore called on the commission to come up with a 100-day implementation plan and identify the top five priorities to ensure fair and equitable development, so as to eliminate injustice that often leads to unrest.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of NCDC, Dr Cyril Tsenyil, said the management had embarked on a series of activities aimed at laying a strong foundation for the take-off of the Commission.
Tsenyil mentioned the activities to include establishing an operational structure, reaching out to key stakeholders and forming strategic partnerships.
“We have received very encouraging goodwill and responses from both local and international organisations willing to work with us in achieving our goals.
“Our partner, Spring, has provided us with seasoned experts to guide our discussions in key thematic areas, including the socio-economic and cultural profiles of the North Central region, challenges and opportunities, institutional governance and accountability, and peace and security as a panacea for sustainable development in the North Central,” he added.
Declaring the workshop open, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the Commission, describing it as apt and timely.
He urged the Commission to pay attention to agriculture, solid minerals, youth development, unemployment, and security with a view to providing sustainable solutions.
