Tinubu Orders Release of Funds to Regional Development Commissions

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, to ensure the timely release of all funds accruing to the regional development commissions.

Tinubu gave the directive on Monday at the North Central Development Commission Summit, held under the theme, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic Infrastructure and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.”

Akume, who represented the President at the summit, said the establishment of regional development commissions was part of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at accelerating development across the country.

“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 said.

Despite the directive, the President cautioned the commissions against relying exclusively on government funding, urging them to explore public-private partnerships, donor support and development financing for major projects.

He said the commissions should prioritise strategic investments in rail and air transportation, 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.

“Such actions will not be tolerated, and government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable,” he warned.

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 institutions.

He said their role was to complement existing structures and drive coordinated regional development.

Tinubu also tasked the North Central Development Commission with supporting efforts to address insecurity in the region, stressing that sustainable development could not thrive in an unstable 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 become a major economic force.

Sule highlighted the North Central’s potential in agriculture, mining and industrial production, but called for a shift from the extraction 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 processing mineral resources within the region could create jobs, increase revenue and boost economic activity.

Sule also recalled that Nasarawa State had more than 400 steel licences when he assumed office in 2019 but lacked a processing plant despite its abundant mineral resources.

According to him, the situation has changed, with the state now hosting 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 said the region’s major requirement was leadership capable of developing and implementing long-term development plans.

“What do we need more? We need thinkers. We need implementers. We need people who understand what it means to lead,” Sule said.

He also commended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, arguing that the policies had increased the revenues available to the federal, state and local governments.

“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,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the North Central Development Commission, Cyril Tsenyil, said the commission was established to coordinate regional development, mobilise resources and build 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 creating regional economic corridors, processing agricultural and mineral resources, improving infrastructure and expanding opportunities for young people.

He said the North Central should aspire to become one of Africa’s most competitive agricultural regions, rather than being known merely as Nigeria’s agricultural hub.