President Bola Tinubu has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to ensure that funds approved for Nigeria’s regional development commissions are released as and when due.

The President issued the directive on Monday while addressing 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 Tinubu at the summit, said the establishment of regional development commissions was part of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development and unlock economic opportunities across the country.

The President pledged continued political and financial support for the commissions, particularly in implementing projects capable of stimulating economic and industrial growth.

“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, however, cautioned the commissions against depending entirely on government allocations, urging them to seek additional financing through public-private partnerships, donor agencies and development finance institutions.

He said the commissions should channel their resources into strategic projects covering rail transportation, aviation, industrialisation, security, investment, human capital development, education and healthcare.

The President also issued a strong warning to the boards and management teams of the commissions against corruption, discrimination, political interference and the diversion or abuse of public resources.

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

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Tinubu stressed that the regional commissions were created to complement, rather than take over, the responsibilities of state and local governments or duplicate the functions of existing Federal Government agencies.

He specifically charged the North Central Development Commission with supporting initiatives aimed at tackling insecurity in the region, noting that sustainable economic development would be difficult to achieve without peace and stability.

The Nasarawa State Governor and Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum, Abdullahi Sule, said the region had the resources and economic potential required to become a major driver of Nigeria’s development.

Sule pointed to the region’s strengths in agriculture, mining and industrial production, but argued that greater emphasis should be placed on processing raw materials locally rather than exporting them in their unprocessed form.

“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 converting locally sourced raw materials into finished products could generate greater economic value and create employment.

Sule also recalled that Nasarawa State had more than 400 steel licences when he assumed office in 2019, yet had no processing plant to harness its mineral resources.

According to him, the situation has changed, with the state now hosting Nigeria’s largest and second-largest lithium processing plants.

The governor said the North Central region had an abundance of resources capable of supporting agriculture and industrialisation.

“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,” Sule said.

He said the major requirement was leadership capable of developing ambitious long-term strategies and ensuring their effective implementation.

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

Sule also praised the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration, arguing that they had improved the revenue available to the three tiers of government.

“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, explained that the commission was established to coordinate development across the region, mobilise resources and build partnerships.

Tsenyil stressed that the commission was not intended to supersede the six state governments and the Federal Capital Territory.

He said the commission’s 20-year development blueprint would prioritise regional economic corridors, agricultural and mineral resource processing, infrastructure development and the creation of opportunities for young Nigerians.

Tsenyil said the North Central should set its sights beyond being recognised merely as Nigeria’s agricultural hub, arguing that the region had the potential to become one of Africa’s most competitive agricultural economies.

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